By Seyi Odewale
Andy Burnham officially became Britain’s prime minister on Monday after King Charles III invited him to form a new government during an audience at Buckingham Palace, marking the beginning of a new political era following Keir Starmer’s resignation.
The change of leadership came after Starmer formally stepped down as prime minister, ending a turbulent two-year tenure that he insisted had left Britain in a stronger position than he inherited.
Before travelling to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation, Starmer delivered an emotional farewell outside 10 Downing Street, defending his record in office.
“I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago,” he said.
The outgoing Labour leader also expressed pride in his administration’s achievements.
“I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved,” Starmer declared.
Following constitutional tradition, King Charles accepted Starmer’s resignation before receiving Burnham and formally inviting him to form the next government, an invitation the former Greater Manchester mayor accepted.
At 56, Burnham becomes Britain’s sixth prime minister in just a decade, underscoring a prolonged period of political instability that has seen frequent changes in leadership.
The new prime minister now inherits an economy weighed down by sluggish growth, rising government borrowing costs, a growing welfare bill and persistent cost-of-living pressures.
Speaking ahead of his inauguration in an interview with The Times, Burnham signalled his intention to chart a different course for the country after years of political upheaval.
“What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s the way I see it,” he said.
He added, “I am going to try and do things in a different way.”
Burnham’s team said his inaugural address would focus on rebuilding public trust in government and easing the financial burden on households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
His administration is also expected to prioritise economic growth and deepen the devolution of powers to regional authorities as part of a broader programme of constitutional and economic reform.
Attention will also turn to the composition of his first Cabinet, with political observers closely watching who he appoints to succeed Rachel Reeves as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Burnham, popularly known as the “King of the North” during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, emerged as Labour’s choice to replace Starmer after the latter resigned last month amid a succession of political scandals, policy reversals and internal party turmoil.
Labour MPs reportedly viewed Burnham as the party’s strongest candidate to halt the growing influence of Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK ahead of future elections.
Among the immediate tests confronting the new prime minister are high public debt, elevated borrowing costs, irregular migration across the English Channel and continuing pressure on public finances.
His government must also navigate volatile global energy prices linked to the conflict involving the United States and Iran, as well as an unpredictable international environment shaped by the return of US President Donald Trump.
Burnham said his administration would adopt a fresh economic strategy centred on investing early to reduce long-term public spending.
“A different approach to public spending and to running the economy — more focused on early investment, early intervention, setting people up for success and much less paying for failure,” he said.
He also pledged swift measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs on British families.
“Early moves to help” would be introduced because, during the campaign, he witnessed “the pressure people feel around their finances,” he said.
Starmer had led Labour back to power in a landslide election victory in July 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
However, his premiership was overshadowed by a series of controversies, political miscalculations and policy U-turns that ultimately forced his resignation in late June.
Burnham, who only returned to Parliament four weeks ago before assuming the nation’s top office, now faces the daunting task of restoring confidence in government while delivering economic recovery within the constraints of Britain’s strict fiscal rules.
