Andy Burnham was officially appointed as the United Kingdom's new Prime Minister on Monday following a meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham described the leadership transition as a «circuit breaker for Britain» that would bring about the «biggest changes in the last forty years.» He becomes the seventh prime minister in a decade, taking over the ruling Labour Party after heavy losses in local polls under Keir Starmer's tenure.
«Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again,» Burnham said, acknowledging the revolving door of Westminster leadership. «I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you. And I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better.» The former mayor of Greater Manchester echoed pledges from his first speech as Labour leader on Friday, vowing to re-embrace working-class communities while representing all of the U.K.
One of Burnham's first actions as Prime Minister was to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump, a call aimed at healing the splintered relationship between Westminster and Washington. Since February, Trump had repeatedly criticized Starmer and other European leaders for refusing to actively engage in the Iran war. «This is not Winston Churchill we're dealing with,» Trump said of Starmer in March, accusing the former U.K. leader of «ruining» relationships.
During the call, Burnham «underlined his commitment to defense and security and said ensuring the security of the U.K. and its allies was at the top of his agenda,» according to a Downing Street readout. He also reaffirmed the U.K.'s commitment to «securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz» amid the renewed U.S.-Iran conflict over the vital trade passage. Despite having expressed disapproval of Trump's trip to England during the U.S. President's first term, Burnham extended an invitation for Trump to visit Manchester. «The Prime Minister also hoped that he would be able to show the President what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future,» the update stated. The invitation is reportedly set to coincide with the 2027 G20 summit, which is rumored to be taking place in Manchester.
Burnham's approach to U.S.-U.K. relations comes with a note of caution about political polarization. During his Makerfield by-election campaign in June, he warned that the U.K. was heading toward the political pathway of the United States. «Politics is getting more polarized. And the path we're on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America,» he said. «A polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don't work together anymore.»
Environmental policy is another area where Burnham may diverge from his predecessor. Starmer's Labour government aimed to phase out fossil fuels from the U.K.'s electricity generation by 2030 and announced plans to ban new North Sea oil and gas licenses. Trump has repeatedly criticized that move, urging the U.K. to expand drilling in the North Sea. Burnham has signaled an openness to reconsidering British access to North Sea oil and gas. «I've got something of an open mind, you know. I don't have a sort of fixed position,» he said in early June. On the eve of Burnham entering Downing Street, Trump claimed that «the people of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil.» Burnham has yet to make any announcements regarding reports that he may fast-track North Sea oil drilling on undeveloped sites while avoiding new licenses.
In his first official instruction as Prime Minister, Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping across the country. «I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction, to end rough sleeping in our country,» he said during his Downing Street address, just hours after visiting a homelessness charity in London. «It's about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government. I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.» The government later announced that Burnham's national drive will be «backed from day one by an additional £340 million [around $456 million].» The policy forms a key part of his pledge to help everyone live well and build a more preventative state, investing in success rather than paying for failure. Burnham led similar efforts to tackle rough sleeping in Manchester during his mayoral tenure, where the number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night was 44% below the 2017 peak, according to a February 2024 report by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Looking ahead, Burnham announced plans to set out a «10-year plan» for Britain later this year. «I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we're coming from, whatever party we support,» he said. The Prime Minister pointed toward deindustrialization and privatization as challenges that the plan would address, though he did not provide specific policy details. Burnham's cabinet picks and broader policy agenda are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks as he seeks to stabilize a government that has seen frequent turnover at the top.