Albanese and Burnham talk rugby league as he welcomes his fourth UK PM to Downing Street
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has bonded with his new UK counterpart, Andy Burnham, over rugby league and invited him to Australia in the leaders’ first call since he took office.
Albanese congratulated the Labour leader on Thursday after he took over the prime ministership on Monday with bold promises to remake British politics and end rough sleeping.
Albanese earlier this month promised to protect creators from AI theft and crack down on data centre consumption through the federal Office of AI. Asanka Ratnayake
In Albanese’s fourth welcome call with a British prime minister in four years, the centre-left leaders touched on the AUKUS defence agreement, trade, investment, Australia’s social media ban and the UK’s moves to do something similar.
Burnham outlined his “unwavering commitment to the trilateral AUKUS program, and the two leaders underlined its critical importance for global security and deterrence”, according to a UK-supplied readout of the call.
Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, announced a ban in June that closely mimics Australia’s restrictions but also blocks livestreaming and in-app communication with strangers.
Albanese set out his government’s newly announced approach to artificial intelligence as the prime ministers discussed the opportunities and risks it would bring.
Albanese earlier this month promised to protect creators from AI theft and crack down on data centre consumption through the federal Office of AI.
While Albanese and Burnham did get stuck into the serious matter of the global impacts of the war in the Middle East, they also bonded over their shared love of rugby league.
Rabbitohs fan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Getty
Albanese is a famously passionate South Sydney Rabbitohs fan while the former Greater Manchester mayor supports the Leigh Leopards in the Super League and was once president of the Rugby Football League.
“I would back this sport from the highest office. Sir Lindsay Hoyle does that with great distinction as Speaker of the House of Commons and perhaps the two of us can form a pretty powerful axis, if it does come to pass, for the sport,” he said early this month.
“This sport does need more. It’s a brilliant spectacle but I think rugby league deserves more.”
Andy Burnham poses with a personalised shirt and Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam in Liverpool earlier this month. PA Images via Getty Images
Albanese said he would love for the Kangaroos to play in the UK again while Burnham promised to become a Souths supporter, according to the UK readout. In return, Albanese promised to support Everton in the English Premier League.
Boris Johnson was still prime minister when Anthony Albanese was elected, but since then No.10’s famous entrance has been replaced with a revolving door.
Since 2022, Albanese has congratulated Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Starmer and now Burnham on becoming prime minister.
Burnham will obviously be hoping his premiership lasts longer than those of his predecessors – certainly longer than Truss, who was famously outlasted by a lettuce in her 44 days in Downing Street – and it appears Albanese is hoping for the same thing.
When asked in June about Burnham potentially taking office, the Labor leader noted he’d already dealt with four UK leaders while living in The Lodge.
“I think stability is a good thing,” he replied, when asked if he would urge stability for his Labour counterparts.
Larry the cat, “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office”, has been the only constant fixture at No.10 Downing Street in recent years. Getty Images
Burnham was quick to acknowledge the chaos that has gripped British politics since the pandemic, saying he knew people were “fed up” with it and admitting “we have not been good enough”.
“I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh prime minister since 2016,” he said, in his first speech as leader.
“Making this a moment for reflection and new resolution. It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game, and rise to the new challenge.
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better.”
Burnham faces restive voters seeking relief from the high cost of living but investors who help finance the government by buying its bonds are demanding he reduce public sector debt that has ballooned to levels last seen in the 1960s.
In an effort to balance the competing demands, he surprised pundits by naming former defence secretary John Healey as his Treasury chief.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey leave 10 Downing Street following Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first cabinet meeting. Getty Images
Healey, who served in the Treasury under former prime minister Gordon Brown, is seen as someone who will make sure the government lives up to its pledge to reduce Britain’s debt pile.
In the days since taking office, he scrapped a home electricity use tax – saving the average household £45 ($86) a year – reduced the bus fare cap to £2 ($3.82) nationwide and scrapped plans to introduce digital ID.
On Thursday, he announced he would lower business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues by 20 per cent from April, saving the typical pub about £1100 ($2100) and costing the government £100 million ($191 million).
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