UKEVENTS warmly welcomes The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP as the new Prime Minister, congratulating him on his appointment and expressing confidence that his extensive experience in national government, regional leadership and economic development will bring renewed focus on the value of the UK events industry.
As former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, former Secretary of State for Health, and most recently Mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, Prime Minister Burnham brings a unique combination of experience that aligns closely with many of the priorities of the events industry. His Chief of Staff, James Parnell, is also a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which adds a good understanding of the challenges our industry faces.
During his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham championed regional growth, investment, transport connectivity and place-based economic development, helping to position Greater Manchester as one of the UK’s leading destinations for major events, conferences and cultural activity. He also became a prominent advocate for devolved decision-making and for the role that cities and regions can play in driving economic prosperity, a theme he is taking forward into Westminster. As a Patron of UKEVENTS Partner, the Institute of Event Management, he has an established link to the industry.
Commenting on behalf of UKEVENTS, Chair Glenn Bowdin said:
“On behalf of UKEVENTS and our partners across the UK events industry, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on his appointment.
Andy Burnham has demonstrated throughout his career a strong understanding of the economic, social and cultural importance of bringing people together. From his time as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport through to his leadership of Greater Manchester, he has consistently recognised the power of events, culture, tourism and place-making to drive investment, community engagement and economic growth. The current team at DCMS, under Stephanie Peacock MP, have been making great progress in developing a Major Events Strategy and encouraging cross-government working, and we hope that momentum will now continue under the new administration.
The events industry contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, attracts international investment and showcases the very best of the United Kingdom to the world. We believe the Prime Minister’s experience in both national government and regional leadership gives him a unique appreciation of the role our sector plays in delivering these outcomes.
We particularly welcome his track record of championing cities and regions, improving connectivity and supporting growth through strategic investment. These are critical foundations for a thriving events ecosystem.
UKEVENTS looks forward to working constructively with Prime Minister Burnham, his Ministers and officials to develop policies that strengthen the competitiveness of the UK’s events industry, support skills and talent development, enhance international business events activity, and maximise the contribution of events to economic growth and community prosperity across all parts of the United Kingdom.”
UKEVENTS also notes the Prime Minister’s long-standing commitment to collaboration between government, business and local communities, and expresses confidence that the industry can play a central role in supporting the Government’s ambitions for growth, innovation, investment and regional development.
As the UK seeks to strengthen its position as a global destination for business events, exhibitions, conferences, cultural celebrations and major sporting occasions, UKEVENTS and Partners stand ready to work with the new Government to ensure the sector remains a powerful driver of economic and social value.
