Andy Burnham has taken office as the new British Prime Minister. The Labour leader assumed ministerial duties on Monday, succeeding his predecessor Keir Starmer, who stepped down following poor election results and weak opinion poll figures.
Starmer addressed the public one last time outside 10 Downing Street at lunchtime. He stated, “My work is done,” providing his assessment that during his six-and-a-half years as party leader, he had “put the Labour Party back on track after a historic defeat in 2019.” He also mentioned that by restructuring the party, it had become “capable of meeting the country’s challenges,” and that in 2024, it had achieved “a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.” He wished Burnham, his successor, “much success.”
Shortly after his public address, Starmer went to Buckingham Palace, just a few hundred meters away, where King Charles III accepted his resignation. Immediately following this, Burnham arrived and accepted the King’s invitation to form a government. This marks him as the seventh head of government in Britain within the last decade. Prior to just a few weeks ago, Burnham held the position of Mayor of Greater Manchester.
