UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming Britain’s new prime minister but said while he is “a nice man,” the country needs a leader capable of making difficult decisions rather than “a people pleaser.”
In a statement released on Monday on X following Burnham’s assumption of office, Badenoch wished the new prime minister success but vowed to hold his government accountable as Leader of the Opposition.
“Today, Britain has a new Prime Minister. I wish Andy Burnham every success. Because we need a prime minister and a government focused on fixing the public’s priorities,” she said.
Badenoch said her role was “to hold the Prime Minister to account, not to be his cheerleader.”
“My job as Leader of the Opposition is to hold the Prime Minister to account, not to be his cheerleader. When he does the right thing, I will praise him,” she stated.
She welcomed reports that Burnham planned to approve licenses for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas fields in the North Sea but urged him to go further.
“In that spirit, I welcome press reports that Burnham plans to grant licenses for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas fields in the North Sea. But he must not stop there. He should end Ed Miliband’s destructive ban on new licenses altogether. Let’s get Britain drilling so we can bring down the cost of energy,” she said.
The Conservative leader, however, criticized Burnham for assuming office without presenting what she described as a clear governing agenda.
“Andy Burnham is becoming Prime Minister without having set out a clear plan for government. He has refused calls to come to Parliament to answer questions from MPs, meaning there won’t be PMQs until September. He has avoided proper media scrutiny, giving an interview instead to Gary Lineker,” she said.
