Jenitar and Jortham Na-amoana have welcomed identical quadruplets – Emily, Harriet, Alexa and Catherine – who have been born at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

A mum has given birth to “unheard of” identical quadruplets in Australia.

Jenitar and dad Jortham Na-amoana welcomed four baby girls, Emily, Harriet, Alexa and Catherine, at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

They were naturally conceived and monozygotic quadruplets – where a single fertilised egg splits into four embryos.

The four girls were delivered via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days on 14 July with the chances of naturally conceiving quadruplets estimated to be around one in 15 million.

The couple have now doubled their number of offspring, as they already had four children aged between 10 and one.

Dr Alexa Bendall, after whom one of the babies was named, helped care for Mrs Na-amoana during her pregnancy.

She reportedly said: “Jenitar has taken everything in her stride from day one – we have never seen a spontaneously conceived pregnancy of this type with quads, and she has somehow dodged every complication and risk for both herself and her babies to be here today, with four gorgeous newborn girls.

“Monozygotic quadruplets are estimated at one in every 15 million pregnancies, but to share the same placenta, this is unheard of.”

The hospital said that Jenitar and Jortham were taken by “immense surprise” when told to expect quadruplets, reported news.com.au.

And Dr Bendall, who is a maternal foetal medicine specialist and obstetrician, had warned that having monozygotic quadruplets is very high risk with the hospital admitting Na’amoana as a patient at 25 weeks so she could be monitored.

“We always said that if we could get her to 28 weeks, we would be doing well, so we are happy she could make it to this gestation,” Dr Bendall reportedly said “The rare quadruplets will now spend time in our specialist neonatal intensive care unit where they will grow to full term and are currently doing well.”

The plan now is for the babies to stay in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit until they grow to full term.

The couple have now set up a GoFundMe page to help them with the costs of bringing up four extra kids. A message on the page read: “Hi, my name is Jenitar Na’amoana, and I’m a mum of eight beautiful children, including our naturally conceived identical quadruplet girls—one of the rarest births in the world.

“Our four precious miracles have arrived safely, and while our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, the reality of caring for four newborns at once has brought challenges we never could have imagined. We urgently need a larger van with at least 10 or 12 seats, essential baby equipment, and help with ongoing medical, travel, and everyday living expenses.

“If you’re able to support our family, no gift is too small—every donation will make a real difference. If you can’t donate, we would be so grateful for your prayers and for sharing our story with your family, friends, church, workplace, and community.

“Thank you for standing with our family during this incredible journey. Your kindness, generosity, and prayers mean more to us than words can ever express.”

After his death aged 75, Mirror chief sports writer Andy Dunn pays tribute to Liverpool and Newcastle icon Kevin Keegan

In my memory, there has been no character in football as irrepressible as Kevin Keegan. Simple as that. A joy to watch, a joy to be around. Infectious, funny, passionate and never one to take himself too seriously.

Which – considering he twice won the Ballon D’Or and considering the proliferation of elite footballers who do take themselves so very seriously – deserved the highest praise.

And as a player, Keegan really was truly elite. But it was hard to escape the feeling that, as odd as it sounds, Keegan’s contribution to football has been and remains slightly under-appreciated.

He should have been a national treasure. For what he achieved as a player and for his warmth and generosity, he would have been knighted nowadays.

But to many of us, and to our parents, he WAS a national treasure. And he was an Anfield treasure, even though his place in Liverpool’s history books is nuanced.

He is one of the club’s greatest-ever players, that much is certain, but he left the club of his own accord, joining SV Hamburg in 1977 for a new challenge and a lucrative payday.

Keegan did not just collect an array of medals during his time at Anfield – three league titles, two UEFA Cups, an FA Cup and a European Cup – he produced defining individual performances.

One of those was in the 1977 European Cup final when he destroyed Berti Vogts – acknowledged then as one of the world’s best defenders – in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome.

It was one of THE great displays in a European Cup final. Vogts would later pay tribute to the Machtig Maus, the Magic Mouse.

Ironically, another one of his great individual performances was in the 1974 FA Cup final against his beloved Newcastle United, when he scored twice in a 3-0 victory for Bill Shankly’s side. He was truly a talismanic player.

Can you imagine the fuss in this era if an English player won the Ballon D’Or twice in two years, as Keegan did in 1978 and 1979 when in Germany?

Over half a decade, Keegan was the Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo of his time, but incredibly down to earth. He always had an amusing tale to tell us when the notepads were away and the voice recorders were switched off.

He told of the time when he was almost late for his Liverpool debut, a police officer not recognising the new £33,000 signing outside Anfield. He would laugh with is about the time he fell off his bike on the TV programme, Superstars.

Our relations with Keegan became strained during Euro 2000 when his relaxed regime at the squad’s base in Belgium came under scrutiny, and when England failed to make it out of the group stage.

But Keegan was that type of relaxed manager, a manager who treated his players to fish, chips and beer after a good win. But he never held our fierce criticism of England’s showing at the tournament against us.

And, of course, he gave the media a truly memorable moment with his ‘I’ll Love It’ rant at Sir Alex Ferguson in 1996 as his Newcastle United team surrendered a 12-point lead in the title race.

Later generations of fans remember Keegan as much for that as they do for his brilliance on and off the field. And don’t forget, as Newcastle manager, Keegan moulded one of the most entertaining English club sides of recent decades.

He was a player and a manager who belonged – in a good way – to a bygone age. When football seemed a lot more fun.

Ahead of a schoolboy cup final, this correspondent felt compelled to get a curly perm, thanks to Keegan, who had been on Top of the Pops – yes, Top of the Pops – a few days earlier.

His song ‘Head Over Heels’ only made it to number 31 in the charts. For some time in English football, King Kev was number one, an irrepressible character who will be greatly missed.

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By BOBBY MANZI, FOOTBALL REPORTER

Published: 15:23 BST, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 17:08 BST, 20 July 2026

The warning comes following a number of reported incidents

Police have issued a warning to residents after reports of possible ‘rogue traders’ visiting homes in Co Down.

Police Newry, Mourne & Down are asking people to be vigilant and report any strangers offering unsolicited services or trying to gain access to homes. This could involve offers to clean driveways, repair roofs or other maintenance or repair work.

The warning comes following a number of reported incidents in the Castlewellan area.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Whilst not all unexpected callers are rogue traders or fraudsters, those who are intent on committing crime will employ any tactic to engage you and get you to lower your guard.

“If someone calls to your home offering a service you have not sought out, or making enquiries about work you may need done – or they say you need done – trust your gut. If something feels off, then it usually is.

“Our advice is to never let a stranger into your home, do not make any advance payments and definitely report anyone or anything that raises your suspicions.

“The sooner information is reported, even if it’s on behalf of someone else like an older relative or friend, the better our chances are of catching a potential criminal. This is also a good way to help us spot potential patterns and implement patrolling to deter criminals and reduce crimes of this nature in the local area.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping at ‘the earliest opportunity’ in his first speech as Prime Minister – despite seeing homelessness more than doubling in his last four years as Manchester mayor.

Mr Burnham today promised to ‘finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity’ as he took the keys of No 10.

Standing in Downing Street, he said: ‘For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that.’

‘This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.’

And he added: ‘We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.

‘This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off. Let’s bring back hope.’

But official data shows that rough sleeping more than doubled in Greater Manchester over Mr Burnham’s last four years as mayor. 

Daniel Parnell, a former bricklayer and tattooist who now lives in a tent in Manchester, said: ‘Burnham has done nothing for me’

Mr Burnham today promised to ‘finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity’ as he took the keys of No 10

This saw the number of rough sleepers across Greater Manchester rise to 197 in 2025 from 90 in 2021.

And rough sleeping figures in 2025 were the second highest since Mr Burnham was elected mayor in 2017, despite numbers trending downwards to 2021. 

This is despite vowing in his 2017 manifesto for Manchester Mayor – in an echo of today’s announcement – to end rough sleeping by 2020.

The figures were collected as part of the annual rough sleeping snapshot, where every local authority in England counts the number of rough sleepers on an agreed night in November. 

And in a further blow to the new PM’s credibility, figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show there were around 360 rough sleepers in March 2026 in the 10 local authorities that make up Greater Manchester. This was up from 335 in March 2025.

The city now has the third highest rate of homelessness in the country – after Birmingham and London – according to housing charity Shelter, with one in 74 residents without a permanent home, relying on emergency accommodation, sofa surfing or sleeping rough. 

Reacting to Mr Burnham’s failure to tackle rough sleeping, shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said: ‘In his speech in Downing Street, Burnham promised he would “go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country”. 

‘But there is precious little detail on how this will be paid for. Burnham must come clean on what other MHCLG programmes have been salami-sliced to fill the gap.

‘In Manchester, Burnham promised to end rough sleeping, but failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary. Now, again, he is making pledges without any plan for delivery.

‘If he is really serious about Government, he should lay out proposals cut welfare, fund defence and get Britain working again. The Conservatives are the only party that has done the hard work and set out the plan to do that.’

And chairman of the Conservative Party Kevin Hollinrake previously warned that Mr Burnham’s record as Mayor of Greater Manchester ‘doesn’t stand up to scrutiny’.

‘He has failed to deliver on his promise to end rough sleeping, despite hiking council tax to pay for it. And he has blown more than £100m on a cancelled ‘clean air zone’, wasting local taxpayers’ hard-earned cash.’

He added: ‘The truth is, he is not fit to lead the country.’

Mr Burnham this morning visited homeless charity The Passage in London just hours before being crowned PM.

The incoming prime minister said his visit was the ‘best place to start’ ahead of his premiership, as he was seeing ‘the lives that are being turned around’.

Speaking at The Passage, Mr Burnham praised the ‘Everyone In’ scheme which helped take thousands of rough sleepers off the streets during the pandemic.

He said: ‘We ran a scheme every night, 600 beds, called A Bed Every Night and we funded it through various different ways.

‘But we were the only place that was doing it and you won’t be able to get the numbers down if you’re the only place, and other cities, people are coming to Manchester.

‘So it taught me that the only way is to do this together. Everybody pulling in the same direction – ‘Everyone In’, as we did in the pandemic – because we did bring people inside in the pandemic and that’s what I’m saying as I go into Government today.

‘We did it then. We can do it now. Get the basics right. Put a care for people at the heart of everything that we do and just get this country working as it should again.’

But with Mr Burnham as mayor, Manchester City Council promised 10,000 new affordable homes yet only delivered 791.

And speaking to the Daily Mail in May, Daniel Parnell, a former bricklayer and tattooist, who is now homeless in Manchester, said of Mr Burnham: ‘I know all about the skyscrapers he built with the help of our money. 

He added: ‘Why couldn’t he have spent some of that cash on social housing for Manchester’s homeless?

‘Burnham has done nothing for me. The outreach workers sent by the council come once a fortnight and peer at me and ask if I am all right. That’s it. I am on my own. What most people living in tents think is that the mayor has been unfair on housing.’

“Everyone at Scunthorpe United is devastated to hear of the passing of former player Kevin Keegan at the age of 75,” Keegan’s first club have said following his death.

“A member of the club’s hall of fame, Keegan started his career with Scunthorpe after coming through the youth ranks before breaking into the first team and surpassing 100 appearances for United between 1968 and 1971, scoring 24 times during his three-year stint at the Old Show Ground that saw him attract attention from Bill Shankly’s Liverpool side.

“Keegan was considered one of the best players of his generation and enjoyed a stellar playing career, making almost 750 club appearances, lifting the First Division trophy three times with Liverpool and winning the Ballon d’Or back-to-back in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg in the Bundesliga.

“Following his illustrious playing career, Keegan would go on to establish himself as one of the very best England had to offer, having stints as England manager as well as being boss of Newcastle United, Fulham and Manchester City.

“With a constant smile on his face, Keegan returned to the Attis Arena in late 2025 to witness the matchday atmosphere once again, giving the Scunthorpe players a pre-match team talk using his inspirational demeanour, before taking time to speak to each and every person he encountered, highlighting his brilliant personality.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to all of “King Kev’s” family, friends and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

FIFA will investigate the behavior of Argentina’s bitter players after the World Cup final descended into violence following their defeat on Sunday. 

The probe into the violent final-whistle scenes in New Jersey comes just as footage reveals the exact moment that sparked the ugly brawl. 

The South Americans were outplayed by Spain in a drab encounter at MetLife Stadium, with Lionel Messi and his teammates unable to disrupt their rivals with the same aggressive, physical tactics that unsettled England in the semi-final.

Barcelona star Ferran Torres bagged the winning goal in extra time to seal Spain’s second World Cup triumph – after first winning the trophy in 2010 – leaving Messi, 39, in tears at the final whistle.

However, the action continued following the final whistle as a brawl broke out between the two sides, resulting in a red card for Leandro Paredes. 

The Argentina midfielder was sent off for grabbing Eric Garcia by the neck and punching Gavi in the face before pushing him to the ground in appalling scenes at full time. 

FIFA is now set to open disciplinary proceedings into the red card issued to Paredes, with the role of other players and officials also set to be investigated, according to The Times. 

The move came after ugly scenes at the end of the game which Spain won 1-0 after extra time 

New footage has revealed that a punch landed on Spain captain Rodri sparked the brawl

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Some of Argentina’s players lost their heads as Spain’s substitutes and staff ran on to the pitch to celebrate their victory.

Argentina’s Nahuel Molina hit Spain captain Rodri in the torso as he was running by, resulting in the midfielder squaring up to his rival.

That saw players from both teams pile into the melee, before Paredes threw punches. 

Elsewhere, 53-year-old assistant coach Roberto Ayala was also caught landing a punch on Spain’s Dani Olmo at full time.   

In the aftermath of the ugly brawl, DAZN Spain claimed Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi complained to Rodri about La Roja’s pre-match comments alluding to officiating concerns ahead of the final.

The South Americans had benefitted from a series of questionable decisions heading into the showpiece event, with the Manchester City midfielder raising concerns before the final.

‘You and [Spain team-mate Aymeric] Laporte. Both of you,’ he said to Rodri.

‘You spent the time crying and complaining about the referees, my friend. But you shouldn’t have spoken before the match, you know that? Didn’t you see what he said this week?’

Argentina were thuggish throughout the World Cup final, just as they had been when they beat England in the semis.

Torres’s 106th-minute winner came after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute following a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi – which summed up the South Americans’ deplorable approach to the game. 

Some of Argentina’s players lost their heads as Spain’s substitutes celebrated the win

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni tries to intervene as Paredes clashes with Eric Garcia 

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Spain shared fears of roughhouse tactics from Argentina, and their concerns came to fruition with Enzo Fernandez sent off for a shocking challenge on Pau Cubarsi

Astonishingly, Fernandez complained about his dismissal for a second yellow, before attempting to get Chelsea team-mate Marc Cucurella sent off for covering his face while talking to Messi.

New laws state that footballers who cover their mouths when speaking to a player from the opposing team must be sent off, but replays showed Cucurella was simply scratching his nose as he spoke to Argentina’s captain.

Paredes was also fortunate not to be sent off for a second bookable offense in regular time for a foul on the edge of the box which presented Lamine Yamal with a last-gasp free-kick before extra-time.

Following the game, the 2022 champions collected their silver medals from FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump on the stage but opted not to watch as Spain lifted the trophy – despite it being customary in finals of major tournaments.

Instead, the Argentina players, coaching team and staff walked over to the end where the majority of their fans were sat and turned their backs as their rivals celebrated.

Footage shows Spain players holding the World Cup trophy aloft as gold confetti explodes behind them, with the Argentina team facing the other way.

Argentina only had two shots in the entire match, with the first one coming in the 117th minute. 

There were an estimated 1.5 to 1.8 billion viewers tuning in to watch the summer tournament’s showpiece finale, which saw Trump take center stage during the trophy lift.

Argentina players decided to turn their backs to Spain’s World Cup trophy lift on Sunday

Donald Trump took center stage as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy on Sunday afternoon

The President refused to step aside to allow the victorious Spaniards to have their moment in the spotlight. 

Trump and Infantino handed out various awards to match officials and players, before officially welcoming the team up to the stage to lift the World Cup trophy.

The President presented the prestigious title to Spain captain Rodri, who took great pleasure in raising it aloft.

Much like when he presented the Club World Cup title last summer, Trump stood awkwardly alongside the Spain squad as they lifted the trophy and celebrated wildly.

It seemed as though, when Spain were about to perform the trophy lift, Infantino had attempted to usher Trump away from the players – though the President remained where he was.

He stood to the side of the team as the confetti cannons went off at MetLife Stadium, clapping and grinning while Infantino laughed off Trump’s awkward cameo.

Loud boos had come from the stands when Infantino and Trump made their way onto the pitch, as fans made their feelings on the pair undoubtedly clear.

Fans noted that one Argentina star – Tottenham defender Cristian Romero – completely ignored the President as he collected his medal from Infantino.

It appeared as though Infantino attempted to usher Trump away – but the President remained where he was

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In a video which swiftly went viral on social media, the Argentinian could be seen receiving his silverware from Infantino before waltzing past Trump on stage.

Meanwhile, the President also presented a trio of awards to Spain’s stars, including the Young Player of the Tournament, the Golden Glove and the Golden Ball – which were claimed by Pau Cubarsi, Unai Simon and Rodri respectively.

There was a degree of irony in regard to Trump presenting Spain with the World Cup trophy, after previously launching a stinging attack on the country at a UN summit earlier in July for not contributing enough money to NATO.

‘Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate. They don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,’ he said. ‘Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless, bad people.’

Then, on his way back to the United States on Air Force One, Trump said Spain had tried to improve its standing with him.

‘I did have issues, and ​I still do. But Spain, they came back all the way today. Spain was very generous today,’ he said.

‘They honored a request for lots of payments, and if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have even ⁠talked to them.’

Earlier in the day, Trump and his wife Melania were seen taking in the action inside a packed MetLife Stadium suite – alongside FIFA president Infantino, Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum.

Wayne Rooney savaged the 2026 World Cup final halftime show as he described the performance as ‘c**p’ and said the ‘best part was when it ended’ live on BBC  

The show delivered a spectacular mix of music, nostalgia and global star power, with the likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the Muppets all performing under one roof

Trump also shook hands with Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez as Infantino stood beside them.

Spain’s Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI also greeted the President. Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, reportedly watched the game from home due to ‘superstition,’ The New York Times reported.

Trump also waved at the crowd from behind the glass.

Inside the private suite, Infantino posed for pictures with the President’s son, Eric Trump, his wife, Lara, and their children. Barron Trump also showed up for the big game.

The World Cup final also saw a bizarre half-time show, with Madonna, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, The Muppets and Shakira performing during the 27-minute interval, which was derided by Wayne Rooney. 

‘To be honest, mine [his highlight] was when it finished. I like a lot of those artists but to be honest I thought it was c**p’, he fumed. 

‘I did honestly. It just didn’t get me going. I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat. I like Burna Boy, I like Shakira, I like Bieber but that was too flat.’ 

Andy Burnham kicked off a Cabinet bloodbath today as he axed Rachel Reeves along with a slew of Keir Starmer loyalists.

The new PM has started reshaping his team after admitting in his first speech to the country that the Labour Government ‘needs to be better’.

The Chancellor confirmed she has lost her battle to cling on under Mr Burnham, saying she wanted girls to know there was ‘no ceiling’ on their ambition. She is understood to have turned down another job in Government. 

David Lammy, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle and Attorney General Lord Hermer have also been ousted.

Mr Reed said he was ‘disappointed’ to be going from his Housing Secretary role, and swiped that he ‘hoped those who did not show loyalty to Keir will now show it to you’. Outgoing deputy PM Mr Lammy bemoaned that he ‘would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet’. 

All eyes are now on whether Ed Miliband will be made Chancellor.

The Left has been pushing hard for the appointment, despite alarm from businesses and moderates. Markets have been calmer following speculation that Shabana Mahmood will get the role instead, but any surprises could prompt a panicky response.

Mr Miliband dropped a broad hint that he will be leaving the Department for Energy and Net Zero in a speech to staff this morning – although he insisted he did not know what decisions Mr Burnham had made. 

Meanwhile, the fates of big beasts such as Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Yvette Cooper are due to be decided.

The sackings are under way after Mr Burnham used his Downing Street debut to hint at a lurch to the Left.

Watched by an adoring crowd of aides and supporters, Mr Burnham said he wanted to put services under ‘stronger public control’ and ‘reindustrialise’ with a ‘ten-year plan’. He repeated his view that Britain has been heading in the wrong direction since Margaret Thatcher was PM. 

He made clear his first instruction to officials would be to end rough sleeping, and revealed there would be some help on the cost of living announced tomorrow – but stopped short of giving any details. 

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Burnham also signalled he intends to bring back his ‘death tax’ inheritance raid to fund social care reforms. And he confusingly left the door open to introducing a 50p top rate of tax, even though he has committed to the Labour manifesto that ruled the move out.  

On another momentous day in UK politics:

• The EU has led international welcomes to Mr Burnham, who has previously backed rejoining the bloc; 
• Mr Burnham has revealed his Alzheimer’s-hit father does not know he is going to be PM;
• Eco-tycoon Dale Vince was spotted in Downing Street, amid confusion over whether the Government will allow more drilling in the North Sea; 
• The new PM has hinted at an earlier end to the freeze on the basic rate tax threshold, without saying how it would be funded; 
• Mr Burnham will become the first openly Catholic PM, with work-arounds put in place to protect the Church of England; 
• Loudspeakers have been banned near Downing Street today after protesters blighted Sir Keir’s speech announcing his resignation.

David Lammy and Rachel Reeves were early casualties in the reshuffle, hours after they watched Keir Starmer’s farewell speech outside No10 

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Ms Reeves is thought to have turned down another less senior job in Government

Mr Burnham and wife Marie-France van Heel waved to supporters as they entered No10

Mr Burnham shunned a lectern in his first speech after being officially installed as PM

The former Greater Manchester Mayor saved a kiss for his mother, Eileen, who was there to see him speak

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The new PM was greeted outside No10 by crowds of aides and supporters, who had gathered to hear his first speech to the country

The new residents of Downing Street were applauded into the building by staff

Andy Burnham was officially installed as PM by the King today after Keir Starmer bowed out 

Keir Starmer is giving a farewell address outside the famous black door of No10, just two years after winning an extraordinary election landslide 

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Mr Burnham was invited to form a Government at an audience with the King in Buckingham Palace – where he was unusually accompanied by wife Marie-France van Heel.

In his seven-minute speech afterwards, delivered without notes, Mr Burnham said: ‘Later this year I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a ten-year plan laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.

‘But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living.

‘And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.’

Mr Burnham said he was aiming for the ‘biggest changes in the last 40 years’, with a ‘new political model and a new economic model’.

‘In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised, and they still haven’t recovered,’ he said.

‘Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around.

‘And that’s why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.

‘We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more.

‘And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again.

‘Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry.’

The constitutional changeover came after Sir Keir used a farewell address outside No10 to insist he has not been a failure – despite only surviving two years following a huge election victory.

Sir Keir said he was ‘closing the book on my time’, saying ‘my work is done’ and the country is ‘stronger’. He insisted Mr Burnham – who orchestrated a coup to secure the leadership – would have his ‘full support’.

‘I go with good grace, I go with a smile and I go proud of everything we have achieved,’ he said, thanking wife Victoria and his family. 

Close Cabinet allies including David Lammy and Rachel Reeves had gathered with hundreds of aides in a sunny Downing Street to watch Sir Keir say goodbye. London Mayor Sadiq Khan was also present for the emotional moment. 

In his valedictory statement , Sir Keir said: ‘I am about to visit His Majesty The King to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as Prime Minister.

‘My work is done. In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.

‘Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister, and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.

‘Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day.

‘Immigration is down significantly. Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing and our international reputation is greatly enhanced.’

The handover comes barely a month after Mr Burnham returned to Westminster following his victory in the Makerfield by-election.

He has been installed by Labour MPs in a ‘coronation’, without a formal vote by activists – or having to spell out any policies.

Among the vague commitments laid out by the incoming PM so far are devolving power away from Westminster.

He has announced he will scrap Sir Keir’s flagship digital ID programme to focus money and attention on the cost of living.

In an interview with The Times, Mr Burnham said he had already spoken to the Treasury about his planned announcements and stressed the importance of making people ‘feel better’.

Adding that complaints about frozen tax thresholds had been ‘lodged in his mind’ since the Makerfield contest, he said: ‘So when people, they’re just characterising me as a tax raiser, well again, it’s never that simplistic is it? The breathing space point is a really serious one.’

The comments raise more questions about how Mr Burnham will pay for giveaways, after he backed a ‘land tax’ and harked back to the 1970s condemning Thatcherite reforms.

But the weekend was dominated by bungled briefing over whether the new Government will allow new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

The leader’s team has now confirmed he will stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which promised not to issue new licences.

Instead he could merely allow expanded drilling at the Rosebank and Jackdaw sites – something that was being considered by Sir Keir’s administration.

That could bode badly for Mr Burnham’s relations with Donald Trump, who yesterday jubilantly hailed more drilling as a way of stopping Britain being a ‘poverty stricken disaster’.

Mr Burnham also faces a decision on whether to temporarily nationalise Thames Water as the firm struggles with a £20billion debt pile.

He has already expressed support for greater public control of essential services, and Thames Water’s main creditors have said they are willing to discuss the issue with his new ministers in an effort to agree a rescue deal and avoid the business falling into a so-called ‘special administration regime’.

Another priority is likely to be reforming social care, which he has said is something he wishes to ‘expend political capital’ on.

Eco-tycoon Dale Vince was spotted in Downing Street wearing a ‘chips are vegan’ T-shirt, amid confusion over whether the Government will allow more drilling in the North Sea

The Labour Left is still clamouring for Ed Miliband to be made Chancellor, despite alarm from businesses and moderates

The fates of big beasts such as Angela Rayner, pictured on the campaign trail with Mr Burnham, are due to be decided

Keir Starmer’s resignation was accepted by the King at an audience in Buckingham Palace today

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Close Cabinet allies including David Lammy and Rachel Reeves had gathered with hundreds of aides in a sunny Downing Street to watch Sir Keir say goodbye

There was a hug for Chancellor Rachel Reeves – also expected to lose her job – after the speech

Sir Keir gave his wife a kiss as they left Downing Street for the final time today 

Sir Keir and Lady Victoria got into a car to be driven to Buckingham Palace after his speech

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Kemi Badenoch warned Mr Burnham he will have to cut spending instead of increasing taxes

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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has urged Mr Burnham to engage other parties to solve the ‘social care crisis’, calling for guaranteed rights for family carers, a universal safety net and protection against ‘catastrophic costs’.

Kemi Badenoch has also written to Mr Burnham, saying her party will work with him to cut the welfare bill and calling for him to rule out tax rises and back new oil and gas drilling.

Mrs Badenoch told Mr Burnham she would ‘never shirk’ from holding him to account, adding: ‘You will enter office without having set out a clear plan on any of the issues facing our country.

‘You have refused calls to come to Parliament for questions from MPs, and you have not submitted yourself to serious media scrutiny. This is not a promising start.’