Mission 44 logo
Our statement on the appointment of Prime Minister Andy Burnham
WORDS
Jason Arthur
Published
20 Jul 2026

Today, Andy Burnham assumes his new role as Prime Minister. This marks a moment of change for the country, and an opportunity to reflect on how the government works for young people and the places that systems have historically underserved.

We have seen first hand Burnham’s vision for young people. At our Ambitious about Inclusion roadshow in Manchester in October last year, the now Prime Minister set out his case for a more inclusive education system. In his words it will “be an ambitious way, it will be an inclusive way, and we’ll back young people all the way”. That is a vision we share, and one we are ready to help deliver.

Our CEO, Jason Arthur, shares the below statement:

We welcome Andy Burnham’s new appointment as Prime Minister, and his commitment to rethinking how we support the next generation to thrive.

We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. The approach Burnham has set out to shift power and decisions from Westminster closer to the people who are affected by them, marks an opportunity to build a more connected system of support – bringing together schools, employers, local government, health services and communities – around the shared goal of helping every young person thrive from the classroom to their chosen career.

We have heard Burnham’s enthusiasm to back young people ‘all the way’ and we want to see that reflected by the government embedding youth voice in policy development, so that no decisions that matter to young people are made without them having a say. Young people must be partners in designing policy, not simply consulted once decisions have already been made.

We also welcome the now Prime Minister’s response to the Milburn review, and his call for a rethink on how our education system supports different pathways to success. We have long called for greater parity between academic and technical routes and better well-rounded support for young people starting out their career journeys.

We need a genuinely preventative approach that recognises no single organisation can tackle disengagement alone. Schools, families, health services, employers and community organisations all have a role to play in identifying challenges early and providing joined-up support before disengagement becomes exclusion, and before exclusion becomes a lifetime of lost opportunity.

Delivering that vision will require action across education, employment and local systems. That means:

  • A fully funded Pupil Engagement Framework, with an accountable lead for turning guidance into best practice in classrooms across the country;
  • An explicit commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging within the 6,500 teacher recruitment plan, to create a teaching workforce that better reflects the communities it serves;
  • Sustained support for the trusted adults who keep pupils at risk of exclusion engaged and included in our schools;
  • A mechanism for youth voice formally embedded in policy development, such as a Department for Education Youth Advisory Board to sit alongside other formal steering groups;
  • In line with the Hamilton Commission, work in partnership with employers, schools and local communities to prepare young people for successful transitions into work while giving employers the confidence and support to recruit more young people.

We hope the new government is ready to move quickly to turn ambition into action for young people.

We look forward to working with the Prime Minister to ensure this new chapter delivers what young people need: a system where every child, in every postcode, is included and able to thrive.