Andy Burnham has officially become the new prime minister of the United Kingdom.
King Charles III appointed the Labour leader on Monday, 20 July 2026, after outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer formally tendered his resignation at Buckingham Palace.
Burnham subsequently arrived at 10 Downing Street and delivered his first speech as prime minister, saying that he had accepted the King’s invitation to form a government.
He is the seventh person to serve as British prime minister since 2016, following David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Starmer.
How Andy Burnham Reached Downing Street
Burnham’s journey to Downing Street required him to return to Britain’s Parliament first.
He had previously served as an MP from 2001 to 2017 and held several Cabinet positions under the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including health secretary and culture secretary.
He left Parliament after being elected mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, before winning re-election in 2021 and 2024.
However, Labour MP Josh Simons resigned from the Makerfield parliamentary seat in May 2026, creating an opportunity for Burnham to return to Westminster.
Burnham contested the resulting by-election on 18 June and won with a majority of 9,231 votes. Under British law, his election as an MP automatically disqualified him from continuing as Greater Manchester mayor because the mayor also exercises police and crime commissioner powers.
His victory also meant that he was eligible to challenge for the Labour leadership, as the party requires its leader to be an MP.
Keir Starmer Resigned After Losing His Party’s Support
Starmer announced on 22 June that he would resign as Labour leader and prime minister once a successor had been chosen.
His departure came less than two years after he led Labour to a landslide victory in the July 2024 general election.
Starmer acknowledged that he no longer had sufficient confidence within his party to lead Labour into the next election. His government had faced pressure over a weak economy, poor local election results, policy reversals and controversial political appointments.
When nominations opened for the Labour leadership contest, Burnham rapidly secured overwhelming support from Labour MPs.
He was officially declared Labour leader at a special party conference on 17 July after receiving the backing of 379 Labour MPs and 23 affiliated organisations.
Starmer remained prime minister during the leadership process to ensure that there was no gap in government. On 20 July, he tendered his resignation to the King, allowing Burnham to be formally appointed.
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Why Was There No General Election?
British voters did not directly elect Burnham as prime minister, but this is allowed under the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system.
During a general election, voters elect their local MPs. The monarch then appoints as prime minister the person who is most capable of commanding the confidence of the House of Commons.
That person is normally the leader of the political party with the most MPs.
As Labour continues to hold a majority in the House of Commons, replacing its party leader was enough for Burnham to take over as prime minister. He is not legally required to call an immediate general election.
This is similar to how Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak became prime minister between general elections after being chosen as Conservative Party leader.
Opposition parties have nevertheless called for Burnham to seek his own national mandate from voters.
Burnham Promises to “Rewire Britain”
In his first Downing Street speech, Burnham promised a different economic and political model for Britain.
He said his government would place essential services under stronger public control, support British industries through public procurement and transfer more decision-making powers away from Westminster.
Burnham also announced that his first instruction as prime minister would be to begin work towards ending rough sleeping.
His government said an additional £340 million would be provided for the effort, with mayors, councils, public services and government departments expected to coordinate support for vulnerable people before winter.
Burnham also plans to publish a 10-year national plan later in 2026, covering economic reform, public services and regional development.
Electricity Bills Will Be His First Cost-of-Living Move
On his second day in office, Burnham announced that value-added tax on household electricity bills would be removed from 1 October 2026.
The government estimates that this will save the average household about £45 a year.
Burnham said the measure would be funded by scrapping the previous government’s £1.8 billion digital identification programme.
The relatively modest saving is unlikely to make anyone suddenly feel rich enough to add extra cheese to every meal, but the announcement was intended to demonstrate that his government would take immediate action on living costs.
Burnham Has Also Rebuilt the Cabinet
Burnham replaced several senior ministers closely associated with Starmer while bringing back politicians from different parts of the Labour Party.
Former defence secretary John Healey was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, replacing Rachel Reeves.
Ed Miliband became foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper was appointed health secretary, and Wes Streeting took over as defence secretary.
Shabana Mahmood remained home secretary, while Burnham ally Louise Haigh became First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively making her one of the most senior members of the new government.
PM Lawrence Wong Has Congratulated Him
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wrote to Burnham on 20 July to congratulate him on his appointment.
Mr Wong said Singapore and Britain shared a close and enduring partnership, and expressed confidence that both countries would strengthen cooperation in areas including innovation, science and technology, and defence.
He also said he looked forward to meeting Burnham and hoped to welcome the new British leader to Singapore.
