PRAGMATIC ACTS IN THE INAUGURAL SPEECH OF ANDY BURNHAM, UK PRIME MINISTER

Abstract

This study explores the inaugural speech of Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), delivered outside 10 Downing Street on 20 July 2026. The aim of the study is to identify the main goals of the speech, the pragmatic acts performed and the pragmatic tools deployed during the speech. Because the UK is one of the most influential countries in the world, the inaugural speech of a UK Prime Minister is usually widely anticipated and variously interpreted. There is, therefore, a need to analyse the speech of the new Prime Minister so that its message can be clearly understood by the general public. Besides, the speech is a new political development in the UK that has not yet received scholarly attention. The study adopts both quantitative and qualitative research designs, using Jacob Mey’s pragmatic acts theory in its analysis. Findings indicate that the goals of the speech are to reveal intentions, admit some issues, challenge the listeners, inform the audience and thank them. These goals are realised through seven pragmatic acts: promising, assuring, admitting, challenging, appealing, informing and thanking. In addition, these practs are performed using such pragmatic tools as shared situational knowledge (SSK), inference (INF), reference (REF), relevance (REL), voice (VCE) and metaphor (MPH). The study concludes that the speech is largely commissive, as the new Prime Minister uses it to admit past failures and to rebuild public trust in politics.