Burnham Argues for Public Control of Services in First Commons Speech

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the House of Commons for the first time on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, using his debut speech to argue that expanding public control over essential services is key to driving economic growth. The address, delivered as Parliament returned from its summer recess, marked Burnham's first appearance at the dispatch box in 16 years and set the tone for his government's agenda. Burnham, who became the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade in July, told MPs that essential services have not been operated in the public interest and have become neither dependable nor affordable, hindering households and the broader economy.