Andy Burnham's programme for government likely to be welcomed beyond Labour party
New Prime Minister’s radical plans
Andy Burnham's ascent to power as the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade managed to avoid the bitter battles and public infighting which characterised some of the previous successions.
Labour resisted the temptation to have a leadership contest, which would have looked self-indulgent and played into their opponents' hands by airing differences in public.
Some complain it meant Mr Burnham did not have to set out his manifesto for government. But, after complaints that Keir Starmer and his team had not done enough preparation for office, he has reportedly been using his "access talks" with senior civil servants to give clear steers about what he intends to do in every Cabinet brief.
And just before entering Number 10 yesterday, he promised a "10 year plan for Britain" later this year to lay out a path from the current situation to "where I believe we all want Britain to be".
From what he has said so far, much of what Mr Burnham wants to do will be welcomed beyond the Labour party.
He wants to roll back Thatcherism, saying: "If we want an economy and a country that works for all people and places then it requires a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years".
He wants more public control of things like public utilities, transport and housing; the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period; action on social care; and, of course, more power moved from Westminster and Whitehall to local level.
It's a radical programme, which will no doubt be criticised and will inevitably involve controversial decisions, but which many voters will see sense in. With his much-acclaimed communication skills, popular touch and strong approval ratings, Mr Burnham seems well equipped to deliver it.
And he has a big Labour majority in parliament and three years before he needs to call a general election. But he should move quickly to make progress and then stick to the radical path.
As an avid football fan, he might learn from England manager Thomas Tuchel's much-criticised tactics in the World Cup semi-final and make sure he does not squander the exciting prospect of success by suddenly deciding to switch to a cautious approach.