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- October 12, 202619°
Andy Burnham appointed UK prime minister by King Charles III
The new leader of the Labour Party, Andy Burnham, has been appointed as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom by King Charles III.
The new leader of the Labour Party, Andy Burnham, has been appointed as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom by King Charles III. Burnham took over from his predecessor Keir Starmer on Monday, 20 July.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement:
His Majesty received the Labour Party MP Andrew Burnham and tasked him with forming a new government. Mr Andrew Burnham accepted the offer and, following his appointment as prime minister and First Lord of the Treasury, took part in the traditional 'Kissing of Hands' ceremony, where they shook hands.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Andrew (Andy) Murray Burnham was born on 7 January 1970 in Aintree, near Liverpool. After completing his primary and secondary education at Catholic schools, he graduated from the University of Cambridge.
Although Burnham states that Catholic social teaching forms the basis of his political views, he does not describe himself as religious. Between 1991 and 1994, he worked as a journalist for publications focusing on transport, trade and maritime issues.
Burnham joined the Labour Party at the age of 15, later served as an adviser to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, for three years, and was elected as an MP in 2001.
He held various ministerial posts in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, covering health, finance, culture and home affairs. During the years when the Labour Party was in opposition, he served as a shadow minister for education, home affairs and health.
After two unsuccessful bids for the Labour Party leadership in 2017, he was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester. In this role, his fight to increase the powers and funding of local government earned him the nickname 'King of the North'.
The path to Starmer's resignation
In the 2024 general election, the Labour Party won a majority and formed the government, with Keir Starmer becoming prime minister. However, a year later, support for Starmer began to wane and Burnham's name was frequently mentioned as a possible successor.
The appointment of Peter Mandelson, known for his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to Washington, the party's heavy defeats in the May local elections and the parliamentary elections in England, Wales and Scotland, and the government's economic policies all increased the number of those calling for Starmer's resignation.
In February, Starmer blocked Burnham's nomination for a by-election in an attempt to prevent a possible leadership challenge within the party. However, party bodies ensured that Burnham stood as a candidate in the Makerfield by-election in June.
After Burnham was elected as an MP on 18 June, the only obstacle to the party leadership was Starmer. Four days later, Starmer announced his resignation and the start of the new leadership election process.
On 17 July, the Labour Party declared Burnham, the sole candidate, as the new leader. Following this announcement, Starmer formally tendered his resignation to King Charles III.
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