Sutton MPs react to new PM

The the first few days of Andy Burnham's tenure at Number 10 Downing Street has been met with caution by Sutton's two Liberal Democrat MPs.

The new Prime Minister, who was elected without a contest by the Parliamentary Labour Party, has taken office promising to “bring back hope” after two years of snail's-pace-change under Sir Keir Starmer.

But Bobby Dean, MP for Carshalton and Wallington, has pointed out that Burnham's elevation and early policy interventions have completely circumvented Parliament, minimising the chance for effective scrutiny.

Speaking in the House of Commons shortly before the summer recess, Bobby Dean MP asked the then Leader of the House of Commons:

“… the country will be wondering why, although we have effectively known for weeks who the new Prime Minister will be, it will be months before he faces any parliamentary scrutiny on his plans. Will the Leader of the House explain how this situation has been allowed to happen? Does he agree that our constituents deserve answers about the new Prime Minister’s plans much sooner?”

Similarly, Luke Taylor, MP for Sutton and Cheam has raised concerns about whether or not the new PM's agenda really is bold enough to affect the change the country is crying out for.

Reacting to the appointment of Burnham's new cabinet on Monday, Luke said:

"The new PM has the opportunity now to start to fix the broken social care system, lower the Cost of Living and fix both our relationship with Europe and our totally broken political system. Liberal Democrats like me stand ready to pick up our tools and work with him if he takes it.

“If he squanders the chance like PMs before him, he will go the same way as the rest of them - failure.”

Responding to Burnham's first act as PM to announce a scrapping of VAT on electricity bills from October, Luke Taylor hit out at the policy as a “weak first step”, saying “he won't get there like this”.

Reacting to the announcement, Luke called on the PM to “steal” the bolder Lib Dem plan for an Essential Energy Guarantee:

“People in this city are already living with the highest housing costs, the greatest child poverty level in the nation, and rising transport fares; when you remember all that, £45 seems utterly measly. You can’t even do your weekly shop with that!

“Burnham promised to be radical, and is trying to dress this up as urgent action, but it’s just a weak first step from the new Prime Minister.

“He has a one-off chance in the next few months to set a new direction for the country and tackle the Cost of Living crisis, but he won’t get there like this. He should do what all good Labour PMs do and steal a Lib Dem plan off the shelf - our Essential Energy Guarantee."