As expected, Andy Burnham was today elected as Labour’s new leader. On Monday, he will take office as Britain’s Prime Minister.

At Labour’s special party conference on Friday, there were no opposing candidates, and Andy Burnham delivered his first speech as party leader to the conference.

In the opening of his speech, he promised to restore hope to the British people.

He used the occasion to praise Keir Starmer, whom Burnham challenged and defeated in the contest for the Labour leadership. Burnham praised Starmer without mentioning the criticism he himself has directed at the government over the past 12 months, according to The Times.

It is hardly a particularly emotional or enthusiastic tribute to Starmer – and it is worth noting that the outgoing Prime Minister is not present at this extraordinary conference (because he is on his way back from Ukraine).

Burnham was playing to the gallery when he blamed Margaret Thatcher for all the problems Britain is struggling with today. He claimed that the country took several “wrong directions in the 1980s”, when “political power was centralised and economic power privatised”.

He promised to be a “business-friendly” Labour leader as he set out his vision for Britain. But a large proportion of business leaders – as well as wealthy Britons, business owners and investors – do not appear to believe him.

The exodus of wealthy people from Britain, which has been massive under Starmer, appears set to continue or increase out of fear of what new taxes and levies Burnham may introduce.

There is already talk of higher wealth taxes, capital gains taxes and other economic measures that will make it more difficult for businesses to survive.

On Monday, Burnham will move into 10 Downing Street, and from that day as the new Prime Minister he will stand face to face with the massive economic, social and security challenges confronting the country.

Whatever enthusiasm currently exists within his party could quickly evaporate unless Burnham somehow comes up with something capable of pulling Britain out of the ditch.

Finding solutions to Britain’s problems will be a massive challenge for Labour’s new party leader and Prime Minister. It is difficult to reverse the course of a country that has experienced decline and suffered severe setbacks for many years, both under Labour and under its historic principal opponent, the Conservative Party.

Burnham concluded his speech by inviting the audience to dance and sing along to New Order’s classic hit True Faith. The opening lyrics and chorus are as follows:

I feel so extraordinary, something’s got a hold on me.

I used to think that the day would never come, I’d see delight in the shade of the morning sun, my morning sun is the drug that brings me near, to the childhood I lost replaced by fear.

I feel so extraordinary, something has taken hold of me and overwhelmed me.

I used to think that the day would never come when I would find delight in the shade of the morning sun; my morning sun is the intoxication that brings me closer to the childhood I lost, replaced by fear.

Labour is performing dismally in the opinion polls and is now the country’s third-largest party. It trails the Conservative Party and is far behind Reform UK.

The consolation may be that the next general election could still be as much as three years away, so Burnham theoretically has time to turn the tide.