Farewell Sir Keir and Welcome Andy Burnham
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Burnham is welcomed by the Parliamentary Labour Party
June 26, 2026
Most people will be aware of the tragic fire on the White City Estate on Saturday 20 th of June that resulted in the loss of three lives. I know that the three people who died in the fire were known to many on the estate and it has been a very distressing week for the community. I visited the scene the morning after and attended the public meeting on Wednesday.
Many questions remain as to the cause of the fire, why people died, and what the history and future of the building is. Please be assured that I have been liaising daily with the council, police and fire service regarding these issues. The investigation continues and the police have asked for anyone with any information to come forward.
Last Monday saw the resignation of Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. Andy Burnham, who recently won the Makerfield byelection, looks likely to replace him as the only candidate so far to declare they will enter the race.
I feel very personally sorry for Keir Starmer who is a decent and honourable man, who tried his best to rescue the country from economic and social disintegration, and who had to contend with unprecedented challenges especially in international affairs.
He has many achievements to his credit, but a lot of those challenges remain, so, now he has resigned, in the interests of the country we need to move quickly to replace Keir. Andy Burnham proved during the Makerfield campaign that he could win the confidence of the electorate and he looks the best candidate to lead the Party and the Government.
As we always do when a new MP is elected, the Parliamentary Labour Party gathered in Westminster Hall for a photo to welcome Andy Burnham to Parliament as he arrived last Monday to take his seat.
I attended a concert last week at Sacred Heart School to raise money for the restoration of the one of the Europe’s rarest organs that was discovered at the school. The concert was fantastic and a brilliant way to raise the funds needed to restore this rare instrument, organised by Alex Dijkhuis, the development officer for the school.
The Organ at Sacred Heart School
On Wednesday evening I was delighted to be able to make it to the opening of the Irish Heritage Walking Trail. There are 18 plaques on the trail, and you can see the map here. The trail really captures the number and variety of links between Hammersmith and the Irish community, from Enda O’Brien and WB Yeats to Wimpey’s recruitment office for building the flyover and where Michael Collins lived.
The unveiling of the Irish Heritage Walking Trail
As a patron of the Hogarth Trust, I attended their main fundraising event on Thursday evening. It was a very enjoyable evening, and you can find out more about Hogarth Trust and the brilliant work they do on their website. On Friday I attended the 100 th birthday celebrations for Sulgrave Youth Club and on Saturday I went along to Hammersmith and Fulham’s celebration of Armed Forces Day.
In Justice news, I met with the prisons minister to discuss IPP prisoners, after having met with IPP prisoners recently at Wormwood Scrubs and hearing about their experiences. I also met the Independent Public Advocate to discuss the help we give to victims of disasters from terrorism to trail crashes.
The committee held its weekly evidence session with the Attorney General who we quizzed on everything from international law in the Middle East to why he has banned X from his department.
And finally, Artists at Home was a great success with 89 artists exhibiting across Hammersmith and Chiswick – and they can be contacted online all year round .
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
P.S. I send a regular email newsletter to residents about local and national issues. If you would like to receive it then please email me at andy@andyslaughter.com, click this link.
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