The United Kingdom is set to have a new prime minister. Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is preparing to take over as head of government after Keir Starmer steps down. On Friday, he became the new party leader unopposed, according to the website infohub.kz.
In ten years, Britain will have had seven prime ministers. There were no other candidates for Labour leader. The handover will begin on Monday, July 20. Starmer will meet with King Charles III and formally tender his resignation. The monarch will then receive Burnham and ask him to form a new government. Afterward, Burnham will travel from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street, the prime minister's residence, where he will deliver his first speech in the role.
Burnham, 56, was born in Liverpool, graduated from Cambridge University, and has been in politics for over 20 years. He served as an MP, held a post in Gordon Brown's government as health secretary, and became mayor of Manchester in 2017. Under his tenure, the city significantly strengthened its economy, and its local transport system is cited as a model for other regions. Burnham now hopes to apply that experience nationally.
The new Labour leader's program remains fairly broad. Burnham has said he will not raise income tax, VAT, or mandatory National Health Service contributions, but he does not rule out a wealth tax. A key idea is devolving powers to regions; he believes local authorities can handle transport, housing, and urban development better than central government. He has also proposed moving some government agencies from London to Manchester.
Meanwhile, experts doubt that Manchester's success can be replicated nationwide. The new prime minister faces challenges including high public debt, rising social spending, youth unemployment, and a growing defense budget—all without raising taxes or increasing debt. Burnham has not yet revealed the composition of his future government.
On June 22, Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK prime minister, saying he would remain in office until the handover. Even then, the former mayor of Manchester was considered the leading candidate. U.S. President Trump had earlier commented on Starmer's resignation, saying the British prime minister had "failed" on two key issues: migration and energy.