Burnham set to enter Downing Street after Labour leadership win
Andy Burnham is expected to become Britain’s next prime minister on Monday after Keir Starmer’s resignation as Labour leader.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Andy Burnham is set to become the United Kingdom’s prime minister on Monday after winning the governing Labour Party’s leadership following Keir Starmer’s resignation, according to Al Jazeera and AP. His move into Downing Street puts a former Greater Manchester mayor in charge as Labour faces a weak economy, high living costs and political pressure after local election losses.
Burnham, 56, returned to Parliament only weeks ago after spending nearly a decade outside Westminster. Al Jazeera reported that he will be Britain’s 59th prime minister and the seventh person to hold the office in the past 10 years.
How the handover works
Starmer is expected to go to Buckingham Palace to resign formally to King Charles III, according to Al Jazeera and AP. The King will then ask Burnham to form a government, and Burnham becomes prime minister once he accepts that invitation.
The meeting is part of a tradition known as “kissing hands”, though modern prime ministers greet the monarch during a private audience rather than follow the older literal custom, Al Jazeera reported. After that, Burnham is expected to travel to 10 Downing Street and make his first statement as prime minister.
The transfer of power in Britain can happen within hours. Al Jazeera noted that there is no US-style transition period lasting months, and the incoming prime minister does not need an inauguration or a parliamentary confirmation vote.
Burnham will then begin appointing ministers, including the chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary. His Cabinet takes office as soon as the appointments are made, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
Who Burnham is
Burnham served in Labour governments before leaving Parliament in 2017 to become mayor of Greater Manchester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a prominent voice for northern England and was nicknamed the “King of the North”, Al Jazeera reported.
During his leadership campaign, Burnham presented himself as a politician outside the usual Westminster mould. Al Jazeera quoted him as saying: “When I said I was going to do politics differently, I meant it.”
Supporters cited by Al Jazeera say that approach helped make him one of Labour’s most popular figures. He now takes over the same problems that challenged Starmer, including sluggish growth and household financial pressure.
No election required
Burnham’s rise does not require a general election because Labour already holds a majority in the House of Commons, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Under Britain’s parliamentary system, the governing party can replace its leader, and that leader can become prime minister.
The next general election does not have to be held until 2029, five years after Labour’s 2024 victory, Al Jazeera reported. Starmer announced on June 22 that he would leave the Labour leadership after less than two years as prime minister.
Al Jazeera reported that Starmer had faced mounting pressure from political controversies, including his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States despite Mandelson’s links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Labour’s heavy local election losses in May added to the pressure.
Burnham became the clear successor after returning to Parliament through a by-election and winning support from many Labour MPs, according to Al Jazeera. Labour rules required leadership candidates to secure backing from at least one-fifth of the party’s MPs; Burnham met that mark and was elected without opposition after no other candidate stood.
Al Jazeera reported that one early decision could involve Thames Water, with media reports suggesting Burnham may place the company into a Special Administration Regime, putting it under temporary public control while it is restructured.
In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham said his government would work to make life more affordable and reduce regional inequality. Al Jazeera quoted him as saying he would lead “for the North, the South, the East and the West, for Scotland, Wales and for Northern Ireland.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.