'I was in the room as Kemi Badenoch set out why Andy Burnham is doomed to fail'
I was in the room as Kemi Badenoch set out exactly why Andy Burnham is doomed to fail
The Conservative leader claims she is more prepared to be Prime Minister than anyone, writes Jonathan Walker
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Add us as preferred source Comments OPINION By Jonathan Walker, Whitehall Editor 14:00, Mon, Jun 29, 2026 Updated: 14:09, Mon, Jun 29, 2026 
The UK faces a "summer of chaos", according to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. Keir Starmer is still Prime Minister - officially. But after announcing plans to resign, he can’t make any big decisions. He’s a lame duck. At the same time, we still know very little about what Andy Burnham, the next Prime Minister, plans to do.
Who will be his Chancellor? Will he cut the UK’s huge benefits bill and, if so, how? The UK is leaderless, and will be until at least July 20. That’s when the King will make Mr Burnham Prime Minister if, as appears almost certain, he is the only candidate in Labour’s leadership contest.
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But it gets worse. Because Parliament actually breaks up for the summer holidays on July 16 - before Mr Burnham takes over in Number 10.
It returns briefly on September 1, but only for two weeks. Then there’s another break from September 15 to October 12.
And while the Prime Minister can get some things done on their own, they need Parliament - to make laws and make big announcements, and to hold them to account.
Mr Burnham delivered a big speech in Manchester yesterday, but refused to take any questions from the media. It would be nice to know, to give just one example, whether he supports the radical plans to cut immigration championed by Shabana Mahmood, the current Labour Home Secretary, which are opposed by many Labour MPs.
But we have no idea if a u-turn is imminent. He won’t tell us. The good thing about Parliament is that the Prime Minister, and his Cabinet, are forced to answer questions from MPs.
Mrs Badenoch set out the crisis facing this country in a major speech in London.
She said: “The man who will be Prime Minister in a couple of weeks, wants a 3-month summer holiday because he needs some time to work out what he thinks.
“He will spend the next three months with unions and left-wing think tanks demanding policy changes which nobody voted for.”
She added: “Andy Burnham is already the Prime Minister in everything but name.
“He needs to act like a leader, put an end to speculation, walk into Number 10, name his Cabinet and come to Parliament to tell the country what he plans to do.
“Instead, he is allowing this speculation and this chaos to run and run.”
And the lack of leadership is damaging the economy, not least because of concerns that Ed Miliband could become Chancellor, she said.
“Everyone, everyone, is terrified about what will happen if Ed Miliband becomes the Chancellor. The same is true in every sector of the economy.
“Britain is facing a summer of chaos. Investment decisions across the country will be put on hold every time the newspapers are briefed about new tax rises.
“The markets will react every time it looks like Britain is going to be borrowing more money.”
Her decision to deliver the speech this morning shows that she is ready to take on Mr Burnham.
The nation has been waiting to learn what the former mayor will actually do if and when he becomes Prime Minister.
Today, he began to put some meat on the bones with a speech in Manchester setting out plans to ensure more big decisions are taken in the North rather than London.
So it may seem odd that Mrs Badenoch delivered a big speech of her own just 90 minutes earlier.
She must have known that her comments would be overshadowed, because people would naturally be interested in what Mr Burnham had to say. Even Tory supporters want to know what the new Prime Minister has up his sleeve.
In fact, it was a smart move. Because Mrs Badenoch gave the very strong impression that she, rather than Nigel Farage, is the real opposition to Mr Burnham. If you were to ask who, so far, has taken the fight to the incoming Labour leader, the answer surely has to be the Tories.
And she intends to make good use of the summer break, when Mr Burnham and the UK government will be in limbo. Mrs Badenoch wants to show the nation that she has a team in place, she has a raft of policies that have been debated and tested, and she is actually ready to run the country - more ready, even, than the new Prime Minister.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
