Andy Burnham has been appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Monday that King Charles III invited Labour leader Andy Burnham to form a new government. This comes following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new administration.”
“The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.”
Burnham, 56, becomes Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade after Starmer stepped down earlier on Monday.
Burnham Promises Action on Cost of Living and Homelessness
In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham said his government would focus on easing the cost-of-living crisis, creating jobs for young people, expanding mental health support and building more council homes.
He also announced his first major priority, saying: “I will issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country.”
Burnham added: “The care of people will be at the heart of everything I will do.”
He pledged to “build a new national sense of unity” and said, “I will give this my all.”
Earlier in the day, Burnham visited a homeless shelter in central London, where he said ending rough sleeping would require everyone “pulling together.” Referring to the Covid-era homelessness programme, he added: “We did it then, we can do it now.”
The new prime minister also confirmed that his first calls to foreign leaders would be to US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A reaffirmation that the UK’s support for Ukraine would remain “steadfast and resolute.”
Responding to reports of internal political briefings, Burnham said he was “appalled” and promised to bring greater respect and teamwork to government. He also acknowledged recent political instability, saying, “That isn’t good enough – we need to be better and we will be better.”
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