Protesters have gathered outside the gates of No. 10 Downing Street to demand Andy Burnham take a harder stance on a number of issues as the UK’s latest Prime Minister arrives in office
Protesters clashed outside the gates of Downing Street as the incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham was ushered into No. 10 during his first day on the job.
Armed with placards, foghorn, flags and banners political activists descended upon the streets of London to call for Andy Burnham to take a stronger stance on a number of issues. The former Manchester Mayor was met with cheers from the crowd once he arrived at his new residence.
However despite the fanfare many on the streets of London were wary about the appointment of the latest PM. Londoner Shola Awoberu, 47, has said she wants to see her cash last a little longer under an Andy Burnham premiership but doesn’t know what anyone can do to fix the current system.
Shola told the Star: “I think everyone starts with hope. I suppose that was the same for Keir, right?”
She added: “So everyone was hopeful. Everyone was optimistic. I feel like in this current climate, I don’t know what anybody can offer that is going to fix the system.
“I would like to see my money last a little bit longer, so for my bills to go down, um, and for me to be able to enjoy a bit of spare income.”
Supporters of Count Binface were spotted in the crowds who had gathered outside Downing Street, London. Armed with a “Vote for Binface” placard Peter Began, 72, from Wimbledon has called for voters in Clacton to pick the Bin at the ballot box – instead of former Reform UK MP Nigel Farage.
The 72-year-old told the Star: “He really is taking the mick out of the voters of Clacton, saying: ‘You know, you’re going to vote for me, you’re going to get me back in power’.”
Began added: “It’s very, very presumptuous of him, insulting of him to the voters of Clacton. Binface is the perfect British humorous antidote to that kind of nonsense.”
Political betting analyst William Kelly Kedjanyi, 31, was sceptical about Burnham’s jump from Manchester’s Mayor to running the country. Kedjanyi told the Star: “It’s just a whole different world running Number 10, getting to grips with Whitehall before you then get to the country.”
On moves he wanted Burnham to make, the betting expert said: “Starmer wanted to build a lot of houses, but never managed to really get there. I’d love for Andy Burnham to be able to get house building up everywhere across the country.”
The self confessed transport nerd added: “HS2 is a really controversial topic for many. I’d like to see Burnham re-extend it. If it’s going to cost as much as it has done, it’s taking as long as it has done, let’s stretch it out.”
“Everybody had the same thoughts about Crossrail, now known as the Elizabeth line. Everybody uses it now and everybody loves it.”
On changes he wanted Andy Burnham to make Ranjan Bala-Kumaran, 48, told the Star: “I’d like him to nationalize the water, the electricity, the gas, because too much money is going out in profit and there needs to be reinvestment, and that won’t happen under private ownership.”
Jim Curran, 79, the chairman of the Irish Civil Rights group, said he wanted Burnham to take a stronger stance on the Palestinian conflict and for Burnham to stop providing arms to Israel.
The 79-year-old told the Star: “I’m not excited to see him, because Andy Burnham is a member of Labour Friends of Israel.
“And the Labour Party under the leadership of Keir Starmer was supplying bombs, guns, and planes to the terrorist and apartheid state of Israel and bombing the defenceless Palestinians.”
Curran added: “I want no money going to the terrorist and apartheid state of Israel, and I want no money being spent on Ukraine.”
Robin Wells, 33, from the climate change activist group Fossil Free London has called for Burnham to restrain from issuing new oil and gas drilling licences. Wells told the Daily Star: “He might be about to approve a death sentence for the UK in the form of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.”
She added: “It will produce the same emissions as the 28 lowest-income countries in the world combined, or 56 coal-fired power stations.
“The one thing we want him to do is make a stand to stop all new oil and gas drilling in the UK for the health, security, and well-being of the UK population, who are already sweating through heat waves.”
She added: “2,700 people died in the first two of this year. Facing wildfires and flooding is only set to increase, destroying people’s homes and well-being, too.”
A Restore Britain supporter was spotted on the ground waving a Union Jack flag with “Restore Britain” written on top of it while engaging in a shouting match with climate change protesters over camera space.
The Daily Star approached Restore Britain supporters for their thoughts on the incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham but they refused to speak to the Star.
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