Andy Burnham has scrapped plans introduced under Sir Keir Starmer to curb jury trials.
Former justice secretary David Lammy announced the proposals in December, which would have seen judges alone decide sentencing in cases that carried a sentence of less than three years rather than a jury.
But Justice Secretary Alex Norris has announced the Government will change course after hearing the “strength of feeling” on the proposals.
The Ministry of Justice said only complex fraud and financial offences would now be dealt with solely by judges.
The original plans to drop jury trials in certain cases were aimed at tackling the court backlog, which currently stands at around 81,000 cases as of June 2026, but official projections, however, predict it could reach 100,000 before the next general election, due in 2029.
Burnham has also dropped Starmer’s digital ID scheme, announcing that the money saved would go towards cost-of-living measures such as the cut to VAT on energy bills.
But these might not be the only Starmer-era policy that Burnham and his Cabinet decide to drop.
Changes to indefinite leave to remain
In November 2025, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined plans to double the amount of time migrants have to wait for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which grants permanent residency in the UK.
Currently, the wait is five years, but Mahmood has proposed doubling this to 10 years, with the period extended to 15 years for those on health and social care visas.
Crucially, the proposed changes would apply to migrants already living in the UK.
The policy has faced strong backlash from trade unions and Labour MPs, with around 100 of the latter backing calls in March for health and social care workers to be exempt from the changes.
Mahmood, who retained her role as Home Secretary when Burnham came to power, has since indicated that she is willing to water down the proposals.
She told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday that the Government would reach a “position that balances fairness” for those who came legally and for British citizens.
Burnham told LBC the same day he was “looking again” at the reforms.
Labour’s Brexit ‘red lines’
Shortly before his 2024 general election victory, Starmer told reporters that he did not foresee a scenario where the UK would rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
The Labour manifesto had also set out a series of “red lines” for future talks with the EU, which included not rejoining the single market, customs union or allowing freedom of movement with the bloc.
Instead, his government sought to “reset” relations with the EU, which resulted in a new security pact and the UK rejoining the Erasmus scheme, which allows students to study in the EU.
However, Burnham has always had a warmer stance on reversing Brexit, telling Labour conference last year before he became Prime Minister that he would like to see the UK back in the bloc in his lifetime.
He used his leader’s speech at this year’s conference to say that Brexit had “done more harm than good”, and confirmed that he would set out options for the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe around the next UK-EU summit expected in November.
Burnham later told Radio 4’s Today programme that the options included staying as the UK is, a customs union, the single market or going “all the way”.
That suggests that the Prime Minister will likely drop the Starmer-era “red lines” on Brexit, or is at least open to doing so.
Thames Water and public ownership
Thames Water – the largest water company in the UK – serves around 16 million customers, and is in billions of pounds of debt.
Reports suggest it is in the red by up to £20bn, and the privately owned company has spent much of the last year seeking a rescue deal to keep it operational.
If the company fails to stabilise, ministers can take temporary ownership of it under a special administration regime (SAR). This keeps it running under Government supervision while its future is decided.
Starmer’s government ruled out taking that step, but did announce more measures to crack down on water companies, such as banning executive bonuses during pollution failures.
Burnham has also not used the power since becoming Prime Minister in July, and Whitehall sources have told The i Paper that he is not expected to use it.
But his hand could be forced if Thames Water’s situation deteriorates, or a rescue deal is not found.
The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, chaired by Alistair Carmichael, has urged the Government to reject a £10bn takeover offer from the creditors and consider an SAR.
River Action UK, an environmental charity, has also obtained permission to challenge the Government in the High Court over its failure to publish a clear policy on when it would use an SAR.
As well considering placing Thames Water into SAR, Burnham may also be forced to consider complete nationalisation.
At his party’s conference, Burnham he would legislate to repeal a ban on the public ownership of water companies, promising a ten-year route to “a very different water system” for the country.
Welfare reform
Last year, Starmer’s Government introduced plans to cut the benefits bill by tightening eligibility, in a bid to cut the welfare bill by £5bn a year.
The original plans included requiring those claiming personal independent payments (PIP) to score more highly on eligibility tests.
But the Government was forced to water the reforms down after 126 rebel Labour backbenchers signed an amendment that would have halted the bill.
Disability minister Sir Stephen Timms announced that PIP changes would wait until a review he is leading had concluded.
That review, and a separate review by Alan Milburn on youth unemployment, are both due this autumn.
Whatever they recommend, the decision on what the Government should do about the rising welfare bill falls to Burnham, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t want “crude cuts” to benefits.
There are reports that ministers are considering removing the health element for under-25s, including existing claimants, and replacing it with intensive work support.
According to The Guardian, Burnham is also considering replacing the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system and making cutting back on the Motability scheme.
However, any further backlash to benefit cuts from Labour backbenchers could force Burnham to water them down further, beyond the point reached by Starmer.
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