Burnham planning summer tour of UK in early weeks as PM

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Burnham planning summer tour of UK in early weeks as PMImage source, Getty ImagesByJames Gregory, Political reporter, Shelley Phelps, Wales Westminster correspondent and Catrin Haf Jones, Wales political correspondentPublished15 minutes agoAndy Burnham will undertake a summer tour across the UK during the early weeks of his premiership. Described as a "listening tour of the UK", Burnham will travel across the country in August while Parliament is in recess. Among the areas understood to be on his itinerary is Port Talbot in south Wales, a town which saw the closure of its last steel-making blast furnace in September 2024.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will become prime minister on Monday but will not face MPs until September when the Commons returns from its six-week recess, unless he decides to recall Parliament. Several Welsh Labour MPs have told Wales that they understand Burnham intends to visit Port Talbot, once home to the UK's largest steelworks which has seen 2,800 job losses as it transitions to greener steel-making. Some Welsh politicians have accused Labour of double standards, after it stepped in to save the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe in 2025 but did not do the same for Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant.

The Details

There are few details as to what policies Burnham will look to implement once in No 10, but a key part of his message thus far has been about devolving power away from Westminster towards local communities. In a speech in Manchester at the end of June, the Makerfield MP made the case for more "powers to areas undergoing industrial transition, like Port Talbot, Scunthorpe and Aberdeen". The Welsh Government has raised concerns that this might mean undermining devolution to Wales, with Plaid Cymru First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth saying there were "signs" Burnham might want to bypass the Senedd and the Welsh government.

Some Welsh MPs have also requested that Burnham makes stops in their constituencies. There are reports that Burnham will also visit Aberdeen, a city at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future and home of GB Energy - the government's fledgling publicly-owned energy company. The Conservatives won the recent by-election for Aberdeen South, held on the same day as the Makerfield election which Burnham won.

Burnham will become the leader of the Labour Party on Friday, having received support from the overwhelming majority of his party's MPs. He will replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday. With Burnham entering No 10 without a general election or a leadership contest, his immediate priority will be to shore up support across the country as he sets out his vision for government.

He is also facing calls to connect to voters outside of London and the north-west of England.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.