Andy Burnham was confirmed Monday as the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, succeeding Keir Starmer after King Charles III asked him to form a government following a meeting at Buckingham Palace.
Burnham, 56, becomes the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade and the 59th in the country’s history. The transition took place without a new national vote, a process allowed under Britain’s parliamentary system when a governing party changes its leader mid-term. The next general election is not required until 2029, though Burnham could call one sooner.
Starmer traveled to Buckingham Palace on Monday morning to formally resign, telling the king his work was complete before Burnham arrived to accept the king’s invitation to form a new administration. Starmer had announced his resignation in June following months of political turmoil, including local election losses in May that saw Labour lose more than 1,000 council seats.
“My work is done,” Starmer said in his farewell address outside 10 Downing Street.
Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and member of Parliament for Makerfield, ran unopposed to succeed Starmer as Labour leader last week before Monday’s formal transfer of power. In his inaugural remarks, Burnham reflected on the frequent turnover in British leadership and outlined his priorities for the role.
“This a moment for reflection and new resolution,” Burnham said in his first remarks as prime minister. “It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge to make politics work, to make it work better.”
At the center of Burnham’s agenda is a policy platform he calls “Manchesterism,” aimed at giving British cities and regions greater authority over transportation, housing and economic development. He has paired the approach with what he describes as “business-friendly socialism,” combining public control of essential services with cooperation between government and industry.
Burnham inherits a country facing low wages and economic stagnation, and investors are already questioning his policy direction. President Donald Trump criticized Britain’s economic condition following news of the transition, a remark that added a transatlantic dimension to Burnham’s first day in office.
Burnham’s rise follows years of speculation about a leadership challenge to Starmer. A Survation poll of Labour Party members conducted for LabourList earlier this year found Burnham favored over Starmer by 58% to 32%/
Despite the political shake-up, Burnham has pledged continuity on key foreign policy commitments, including support for NATO and Ukraine.
