Andy Burnham must convince huge numbers of Labour voters who have switched to Reform UK, writes GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope

On Monday, we get our seventh Prime Minister in a decade as Andy Burnham formally is handed the keys to 10 Downing Street by Sir Keir Starmer.

That came after Mr Burnham was formally made the Labour Party's 20th leader at a special conference today, with a speech in which he set out the core political principles which will guide his time in office.

It was the third speech he had given since he was elected as MP for Makerfield this time last month (the other two were at Ashton Town FC the morning after his by-election and at the People's Museum in Manchester).

A stand-out line was an attack on what he said was "four decades of neo-liberalism" which had seen utilities and other industries sold into private hands.

He said: "The Right uses the phrase 'take back control' but they are the ones who gave it away in the first place."

Mr Burnham had started his speech saying "I am ready" twice (as though to reassure himself) and finished saying: "I have a plan."

We have been here before, of course, with Sir Keir repeatedly criticised for not having a plan when he became Prime Minister two years ago.

I can remember too when Gordon Brown replaced Tony Blair as PM in 2007 and was criticised rightly for having no new ideas to take into the 2010 general election.

Like Mr Brown, Mr Burnham has been handed the job as leader without a leadership contest which could have helped him set out for himself and for us what he believes in.

So far details are scant, although one area – how to fund a proper social care system – is clearly near the top of his agenda.

He also wants to fund the UK's defence budget, put some utilities back into the hands of the state, and is considering some tax increases.

However, Mr Burnham's room for manoeuvre is constrained both by the dire state of the economy and the 2024 manifesto, which he had no part in.

And for the senior Labour figures I interviewed for GB News afterwards – Cabinet ministers Jonathan Reynolds and Ellie Reeves – plus Red Wall caucus chair Jo White, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, that seemed to be enough.

For me it was no surprise he went from the Trade Unions Congress to Gravesend to answer (finally) questions from broadcasters.

The location was surely not an accident: a Labour seat which is forecast to switch to Reform UK at the next general election.

Mr Burnham went on to address party supporters in a Zoom call with his deputy, Lucy Powell, on Friday night.

He told the leadership contest this was the most "significant change moment for 40 years".

His problem is he now has fewer than three years before the general election to effect that change.

For Labour, Mr Bunrham has to succeed, if only to convince the huge numbers of voters who have switched to Reform UK to come back to the fold.

For me, the countdown to the next general election started today.