Andy Burnham marked his rise to the summit of British politics with a sweeping declaration on Friday, telling Labour Party members that his election as leader represented the biggest political change in 40 years.
For the man taking office as British Prime Minister today, it was a striking claim after four decades in which the UK has undergone a succession of profound political upheavals.
It also sets a formidable standard for a leader under pressure not merely to deliver, but to show results quickly.
He enters a Number 10 where Westminster wags increasingly suggest that a revolving door might replace the famous black entrance, reflecting the rapid turnover of British prime ministers in recent years.
From easing the cost-of-living crisis to settling questions over defence spending, the new prime minister inherits a crowded agenda demanding attention from his first day.
Andy Burnham becomes the seventh prime minister in a decade today
The unconventional path taken by Labour’s new leader to reach Downing Street has left many important questions unresolved.
His leadership campaign was effectively fought in a single constituency and, inevitably, focused on the concerns of those voters rather than the priorities of the country as a whole.
After becoming an MP last month, Mr Burnham faced no challenger for the leadership, denying him an opportunity to set out a comprehensive political platform.
Nor is he arriving after years in opposition with a shadow cabinet ready to move seamlessly into government. Although his pool of potential Cabinet appointees includes many figures who have served in power during the past two years, he is widely expected to place new faces in new roles.
Together, those circumstances ensure his opening days in office will face exceptional scrutiny.
Mr Burnham’s allies insist he has a plan and that the machinery surrounding his ascent means the details are prepared for the first day of his premiership.
Larry the cat waits outside 10 Downing Street before Andy Burnham moves in
“Just wait, you’ll see,” they say.
Yet Keir Starmer’s popularity collapsed in part because voters believed they had already waited too long for tangible results.
That makes Mr Burnham’s first address outside Downing Street crucial, offering an early chance to answer the questions now hanging over his premiership.
He has promised to transform politics and improve people’s lives. The public now wants to know precisely how Andy Burnham intends to realise his vision for Britain — and, just as importantly, how he plans to pay for it.
The absence of a detailed programme has created an additional challenge, allowing different groups within Labour and across the electorate to imagine that his government will deliver their preferred outcomes.
Until now, Andy Burnham has served as something of a blank canvas, inviting people to project their own hopes for the changes ahead.
That canvas will begin acquiring detail as soon as he crosses the threshold of Number 10, and some will inevitably be disappointed by the picture that emerges.
The experience of Mr Burnham’s numerous predecessors over the past decade shows where such disappointment can lead.
