Andy Burnham officially became British prime minister on Monday, the country's seventh leader in 10 years, following his election as the Labour Party leader last week. Burnham, who previously served as the mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeds Keir Starmer.
Starmer announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street, stating, "Today I am here to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as prime minister. My work is done." He thanked the British people for the opportunity to serve and expressed pride in the achievements during his tenure. Starmer then formally tendered his resignation to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, after which Burnham was asked by the King to form a government.
In his first address as prime minister, Burnham emphasized the need for Britain to "regain our stability" and pledged to introduce a new political and economic model with a 10-year plan. His stated commitments include addressing the cost of living, aiding youth employment, ending homelessness, re-industrializing the country, placing "life's essentials back under public control," and empowering local authorities.
Burnham is expected to begin appointing his cabinet on Monday. Starmer had announced his intention to step down in June, citing persistent criticism over a perceived lack of rapid change after 14 years of Conservative rule. This followed significant losses for the Labour Party in local elections in May, which were seen as a voter repudiation of his leadership.
Starmer acknowledged the sentiment within his party, stating in June, "The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace." Burnham was the sole candidate in the subsequent Labour leadership election, securing nominations from a significant majority of Labour Members of Parliament.
Upon accepting the Labour leadership, Burnham declared his mission to "bring back hope" and tackle decades of economic inequality and declining living standards. He acknowledged a failure by the current generation of politicians to adequately challenge a political and economic system that he believes does not serve ordinary people well.
The frequent change in leadership, with Burnham being the seventh prime minister in a decade, reflects the political and economic turbulence in the UK since the 2016 Brexit vote. Burnham also stated his intention to make British politics "less toxic" and to "build a new politics" that the country is calling for.
Burnham, 56, began his career as a journalist before working as a Labour parliamentary researcher. He was elected as the MP for Leigh in 2001 and served in cabinet positions under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He later bid for Labour leadership twice and served in shadow cabinets. In 2017, he left Parliament to become the mayor of Greater Manchester, advocating for a shift in political power and investment away from London, which earned him the moniker "the King of the North."