LONDON — King Charles III officially invited Andy Burnham to form a new government on Monday, making him the United Kingdom’s new prime minister.
The political shift occurred rapidly at Buckingham Palace. Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer first arrived to formally tender his resignation to the King. Shortly after, Burnham made the same journey to accept the premiership. Under the British parliamentary system, the ruling Labour party can replace its leader without triggering a general election. The next national vote is not expected for another three years.
Returning to Downing Street, Burnham addressed a frustrated public. “It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game,” Burnham said, “acknowledging that many voters have grown frustrated with politics.” He added, “I want to be honest with you: We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be.”
Burnham promised to announce immediate household financial support on Tuesday. He called his new administration “a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years.”
“I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living,” Burnham stated. He also announced that his very first instruction upon entering No. 10 Downing Street would be “to end rough sleeping in our country,” alongside a pledge to unveil a broader 10-year national plan later this year.
The new prime minister plans to scrap digital ID cards, reverse the privatization of public transit and utilities, and shift power away from London to regional authorities. Reports that Burnham might ease a ban on North Sea oil and gas drilling quickly drew praise from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on social media that the move could transform the U.K. into “one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World!”
International leaders offered swift congratulations. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin expressed hope for stronger U.K., Irish, and EU ties. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Britain a close ally and invited Burnham to Berlin.
Burnham is the U.K.’s seventh prime minister in a decade. The high turnover began after the 2016 Brexit vote, which shrank the economy and fueled voter anger. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory two years ago but saw his approval ratings plummet due to a stagnant economy.
Starmer also faced intense backlash for appointing Peter Mandelson—a close friend of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—as the British ambassador to Washington. Starmer later fired Mandelson, but local election losses to a populist anti-immigration party in May intensified internal mutiny. Starmer resigned as Labour leader on June 22, setting the stage for Burnham to take the party leadership on Friday.
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In his final speech outside Downing Street on Monday, Starmer defended his record, declaring, “My work is done.”
“In 6 1/2 years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country, and won a landslide general election victory in 2024,” Starmer said. “I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything we have achieved.”
Burnham is a veteran politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for 16 years and held Cabinet roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He ran for the Labour leadership twice before leaving Westminster to become the mayor of Greater Manchester, where he focused heavily on regional investment. He returned to Parliament through a special election just last month.
Known for his working-class northern roots, Burnham often swaps traditional suits for T-shirts and moonlights as an indie music DJ. While polls rank him among the U.K.’s most popular politicians, he now inherits the same grueling challenges that sank Starmer: slow economic growth, high living costs, and a volatile geopolitical landscape.
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