Veteran Labour Party politician Andy Burnham is set to become Britain’s next prime minister on Monday, formally taking over from Keir Starmer, who resigned last month. Burnham secured enough support from Labour lawmakers to become the leader of the governing party, and consequently, the UK prime minister.
Burnham received backing from 349 out of 401 Labour Party lawmakers and was announced as the party leader at a special conference on Friday. The formal transfer of power will occur Monday when he meets King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. Until then, Starmer remains the caretaker prime minister.
Britain’s parliamentary democracy permits governing parties to change leaders mid-term, allowing the successor to become prime minister without a general election. Prime ministers can be replaced if they resign as party leader or are ousted through a leadership challenge. The next national election is not constitutionally required until 2029.
Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader on June 22, citing a tenure marked by political missteps, including the appointment of an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Heavy losses in local elections in May prompted many lawmakers to demand his resignation, and Burnham's victory in a special parliamentary election increased the pressure, leading to Starmer's decision to step down.
Under Labour rules, a leadership challenge can be initiated if a lawmaker secures the support of a fifth of the party's House of Commons members. Burnham was the sole candidate and easily surpassed this threshold.
It is not uncommon in the UK's parliamentary system for prime ministers to ascend to power without a public vote. Four of the last six British prime ministers took office by winning internal party leadership contests rather than through a general election. This occurred when Theresa May and Boris Johnson became prime minister after Conservative leadership races, and Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak followed similar processes after Johnson's resignation and Truss's subsequent departure.
Burnham will be the seventh prime minister in a decade characterized by frequent leadership changes and the ongoing complexities following Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. The process for transferring power has become familiar to many in the UK.
On Monday, Starmer will deliver a farewell speech before meeting the King to formally resign. Following this, Burnham will meet with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace to be formally asked to form a government, a ceremony known as the “Kissing of Hands.” Burnham will then proceed to his official residence at 10 Downing Street, where he is expected to make his first public statement as prime minister. The entire sequence is typically broadcast live on television and is completed within hours.