Key facts
- Andy Burnham officially became UK Prime Minister on July 20, succeeding Keir Starmer.
- Burnham pledged continued support for Ukraine and to implement new political and economic models.
- David Lammy and Peter Kyle departed their government positions.
- East Midlands Railway reduced direct train services from Sheffield and Nottingham to London.
- The train service cuts are due to delays with new Hitachi trains, affecting almost one in five scheduled services weekly.
Andy Burnham officially became the United Kingdom's Prime Minister on July 20, succeeding Keir Starmer. Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, has pledged to end years of instability and implement new political and economic models, including greater control over privatised services like trains to boost connectivity and revive the economy.
On the same day of his appointment, East Midlands Railway implemented a reduced timetable, cutting many direct services from Sheffield and Nottingham to London. The company cited delays in the rollout of new Hitachi trains for the disruption, which will affect nearly one in five scheduled services weekly. Oliver Coppard, mayor of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, described the situation as a 'test case' for Burnham's promises to empower regions and fix infrastructure issues.
David Lammy and Peter Kyle departed their government positions following Burnham's appointment. Sheffield, a city of nearly 600,000 with major employers like Boeing and McLaren Automotive, faces potential damage to its attractiveness due to the service cuts, according to Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.