Andy Burnham has formally been sworn in as the United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister after an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, succeeding Keir Starmer, who resigned earlier on Monday.
Following Starmer’s resignation, Burnham was invited by the monarch to form a new government before arriving at 10 Downing Street, where he delivered his first address as prime minister and began unveiling his cabinet.
Burnham becomes Britain’s fourth prime minister in less than four years and the sixth occupant of Downing Street in the last decade, underscoring the political volatility that has shaped the country’s politics since Brexit.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester returned to Parliament last month after winning a parliamentary by-election, a move widely seen as the first step in his bid to replace Starmer. He later emerged unopposed as Labour Party leader after no other Member of Parliament entered the contest, clearing his path to Number 10.
His rise comes amid growing dissatisfaction within the Labour Party over Starmer’s leadership, with party insiders citing a series of policy U-turns and mounting controversies that weakened confidence in his administration.
Before leaving Parliament in 2017, Burnham served as Health Secretary and held several senior cabinet positions under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. His eight-year tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester further elevated his national profile, establishing him as one of Labour’s most recognisable political figures.
In his maiden address outside Downing Street, Burnham pledged to “restore stability, rebuild trust, and put working people first” as he begins the task of steering both his government and the country through a period of political and economic uncertainty.
