Andy Burnham has officially become the United Kingdom’s new prime minister after being invited by King Charles III to form a government, replacing Keir Starmer following his resignation.
The 56-year-old former mayor of Greater Manchester and newly elected Labour leader was sworn in on Monday after Starmer formally tendered his resignation to the King at Buckingham Palace. Burnham then accepted the monarch’s invitation to form a government in the traditional “kissing hands” ceremony, marking the official transfer of power.
In his first address outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham pledged to reset British politics, saying leaders “need to be better” and promising a “circuit breaker” for a political and economic system he argued has gone off course since the 1980s.
Burnham returns to national politics after serving as Greater Manchester’s mayor since 2017. He re-entered Parliament last month by winning a special election before securing Labour’s leadership following growing pressure on Starmer to step down.
Among the new prime minister’s immediate priorities are reviving Britain’s sluggish economy, encouraging investment and growth, and devolving greater powers to local and regional governments. Burnham has said he wants to apply the “Manchesterism” model nationally while restoring public confidence in politics.
