UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first address to the House of Commons, where he criticized both Brexit and the economic policies of the 1980s, particularly those implemented by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Burnham argued that these policies marked a series of wrong turns for the UK, leading to deindustrialisation, the privatization of public services, austerity measures, and the economic challenges brought about by Brexit. He claimed that Brexit has worsened these issues, contributing to a decade of slow economic growth and limited progress in urban renewal. According to a YouGov poll, 55% of British people agree with Burnham’s view that Brexit was a wrong turn, while 21% disagree. Among Labour voters in the 2024 general election, 78% believed Brexit was a wrong turn, in contrast to 59% of Reform voters who thought it was a right turn. Similarly, when it comes to Thatcher’s legacy, 35% of Britons believe her time in office was a wrong turn, while 28% see it as a right turn. These views vary by political affiliation, with 58% of Labour voters considering Thatcher’s era a wrong turn, compared to 60% of 2024 Conservative voters and 57% of Reform voters who viewed it more positively. Burnham criticized the privatisation and centralisation of power during the Thatcher era, calling it a "failed economic model." He pointed to the decline of high streets and the state of the water industry as examples of this approach, describing the latter as "a leaking monument to that approach." He argued that these policies left many communities without the resources or opportunities needed for sustainable growth. In his speech, Burnham also emphasized the need to devolve power to regions outside of London, allowing them to set their own ambitions and drive local development. He acknowledged that for a long time, the UK had neglected its regions beyond the capital, even referring to the "managed decline" of cities like Liverpool. Burnham expressed a vision where every region and nation in the UK could create the conditions for strong economic growth, regardless of where someone lives.