Andy Burnham has been sworn in as the new UK Prime Minister after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Monday, July 20th. The former Mayor of Greater Manchester succeeds Keir Starmer, who resigned as leader of the center-left Labour Party. Burnham becomes the seventh prime minister in a decade and the fifth in four years, following a transition of power presided over by the monarch.
In his first speech, Burnham pledged to end political instability and reshape politics through a new economic model. He has promised to address the cost-of-living crisis with a 10-year plan, expand devolution, and reform the social care system. The new leader signaled a tilt to the left in an effort to counter populist forces and deliver results for a nation fed up with a revolving door of leaders.
As he enters 10 Downing Street, Burnham inherits a country beset by low wages, internal strife, and a daunting list of urgent issues. He is expected to announce his senior cabinet appointments on Monday, having already purged the cabinet of Starmer's loyalists as part of a Labour government reset.