Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of offering a "superficial, and thin" programme in his first week in office. She was speaking at a rooftop news conference in central London on Thursday.

Badenoch described Burnham as seeming like "a nice guy" and said she was glad he has "a sense of humour". But her main complaint was that he is "behaving like he's still the mayor of Manchester. He is now the prime minister of the United Kingdom." Burnham built his reputation as the mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional role. Now he has to show he can run the whole country.

Burnham became prime minister on 20 July 2026, succeeding Keir Starmer. He is the seventh UK prime minister in a decade and the fifth in four years. In his first speech outside Downing Street, he promised a 10-year plan to bring back political stability.

The week's policy announcements have been wide-ranging, but sometimes short on detail. Burnham pledged "the biggest council house building programme since the post war period." No number has been attached to that promise. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live with Matt Chorley, could not say when the "post war period" ended. Rayner also admitted that Labour's existing promise to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029 is "a difficult target" and looks shaky. That promise came from Labour's manifesto two years ago, before Burnham was PM.

On business rates — a tax paid by companies on the properties they use — Burnham is cutting the charge for some in England. Labour's manifesto promised to "replace the business rates system, so we can raise the same revenue but in a fairer way." A BBC cost analysis of the first-week pledges, published on 24 July, looked at the financial impact, including business rates changes for 2026-27.

The new chancellor — the government's top finance minister — is John Healey, who was previously defence secretary. Healey joined Burnham on his first day working from No 10 North, a prime ministerial office Burnham has set up outside London. Civil servants are being asked whether they would move to the north west of England to work there. The permanent home of No 10 North is currently a building site and will not be finished until 2032. In the meantime, Burnham gave opening remarks to staff at the site on 24 July.

Burnham's first week also took him to Scotland, where he pledged to deliver growth in "every postcode across the UK."

On foreign policy, Burnham renewed America's permission to use British airbases for "defensive" strikes on Iran. Iran has responded by saying those British airbases are now legitimate targets. Oil prices are rising again as the conflict in the Middle East escalates.

At home, Burnham stepped in on the early release of prisoners in England and Wales, demanding a "pause." Justice policy in England and Wales is decided in the Westminster parliament. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own justice systems separately.

The wider political backdrop is unsettled. A BBC article published on 21 July reported criticism from a Starmer ally of Burnham's first major policy. The PoliticsHome podcast "The Rundown" released an episode on 24 July about the first week, featuring former Conservative minister Mel Stride.

The broader question is whether the large number of early announcements — covering housing, airbases, and prisoner releases — adds up to a clear plan for governing, or just a series of quick reactions. Badenoch's charge of superficiality is the first serious attempt to paint the Burnham premiership as more style than substance. The lack of a number on the housing pledge, and Rayner's trouble explaining what it means, gives that criticism some weight.

The No 10 North project raises similar questions. A prime ministerial office running from a building site, staffed by civil servants who have not yet agreed to move, is a practical problem that sits awkwardly with any story of a smooth start. The 2032 completion date means the project will stretch across several government budget cycles and possibly several prime ministers — even if Burnham serves the full decade he is aiming for.

For now, the prime minister has the advantage that comes with being new. Badenoch, meanwhile, leads a Conservative party still getting used to being in opposition, with policies voters have already rejected at least once. Her job on Thursday was not only to attack Burnham's programme but to start setting out her own. The rooftop in central London gave her a platform. Whether it lifts her high enough is another matter.