Premiership of Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham
Official portrait, 2026
Premiership of Andy Burnham
20 July 2026 – present
MonarchCharles III
CabinetBurnham ministry
PartyLabour and Co-operative Party
Seat10 Downing Street

Coat of Arms of His Majesty's Government

Andy Burnham's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 20 July 2026 when he accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Keir Starmer. Upon taking office, Burnham became the first prime minister to belong to the Labour and Co-operative Party. As prime minister, Burnham concurrently serves as First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Minister for the Union and Leader of the Labour Party.

Background

Burnham being received by Charles III at Buckingham Palace to be invited to form a government, in 2026
Burnham giving his first speech as Prime Minister

Andy Burnham, who had served as the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026[1] and previously ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015,[2] had been tipped since 2025 as a potential leadership challenger to Starmer, but Labour rules dictate that only MPs can stand for the leadership.[3] Burnham won the 2026 Makerfield by-election[4] on 18 June after the constituency's MP, Josh Simons, resigned to allow Burnham to stand.[5] Burnham's by-election victory intensified discussion of a leadership challenge; Starmer announced his resignation four days after the by-election,[6] on the same day that Burnham was sworn in as an MP.[7] Nominations from MPs opened on 9 July[8] and closed on 15 July.[9][10] Burnham received 379 nominations and was the only eligible candidate, as he was nominated by over 80% of all Labour MPs.[11]

At a final total of 94%, Burnham received the highest amount of MP nominations ever recorded in a modern Labour leadership contest, exceeding Gordon Brown who received 88% of nominations in 2007. He became the Leader of the Labour Party on 17 July 2026, and assumed the role of Prime Minister three days later, on 20 July 2026. Upon taking office, Burnham became the first prime minister to belong to the Co-operative Party.[12][13]

Ministry

Burnham started to form his cabinet on 20 July 2026, following the King accepting Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister and the King being informed Burnham can command the confidence of the House of Commons and appointing him Prime Minister, after his unopposed election as Labour leader. Prior to him beginning to form the cabinet, Burnham was nearly completely silent on the members of his cabinet,[14] leading to widespread media speculation of who it would contain,[15][16][17] in particular the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer.[18]

There were major reshuffles to the cabinet, including the departures of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy, Housing Secretary Steve Reed, Attorney General Lord Hermer and key minister, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations Darren Jones.[19]

In the run-up to his confirmation as Labour leader and Prime Minister, Burnham promised to stick to the 2024 Labour manifesto and the fiscal rules set out by Starmer ministry Chancellor Rachel Reeves, meaning he will need to ensure the budget is balanced,[20][21] possibly restricting government spending on his plans.

Domestic policy

Burnham visits First Bus's Bath Depot, 2026

In his first speech as Prime Minister, Burnham mentioned re-industrialisation, mitigating the cost-of-living crisis, reforming education, building council homes and ending homelessness as priorities.[22]

He pledged an additional £340 million over the course of three years "to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK".[23][24] He outlined his desire to work cross party, to reform the social care system.[25]

Cost of living

Burnham announcing a 20 percent cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues at at The Hare pub in Harlow, July 2026

Burnham scheduled the removal of the 5% value-added tax on household electricity bills in England, Scotland and Wales for October 2026.[26] The government has claimed the policy will be funded with savings from scrapping Starmer's planned digital ID scheme.[27] The cut will not apply in Northern Ireland, where European Union VAT rates apply; instead, the Northern Irish government will be allocated its own funding for cost-of-living measures.[28]

Burnham scheduled a 20% reduction of business rates for all but the most successful pubs, clubs and live music venues in England for April 2027.[29]

From January to December 2027, bus fares in England outside London are to be capped at £2. The cap was £3 as of Burnham becoming Prime Minister, which was scheduled to expire in March 2027. Burnham has also said that he will remove the 9:30am time limit on disabled person bus passes from April 2027.

The devolved governments are to be allocated money for corresponding fare reduction. About £400 million of the scheme's expected cost (more than £500 million) is to be funded by turning international climate-related donations into loans.[30][31]

Criminal justice

Burnham has paused the Sentencing Act 2026's prisoner early release scheme in England and Wales, scheduled for September 2026, so that it may be reviewed.[32]

Number 10 North

Along with still working at the prime minister's traditional office at 10 Downing Street in London, Burnham established Number 10 North, an office at Heron House in Manchester; both locations were grouped together under a new Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, overseen by Louise Haigh, First Secretary of State. Burnham is expected to work at Number 10 North at least one day per week, barring scheduling conflicts. Relocation packages to work at Number 10 North have been offered to civil servants based in London.[33]

Foreign policy

Burnham with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, July 2026

Burnham held introductory phone calls with United States President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shortly after taking office on 20 July 2026.[34][35][36] In his first official international conversation, Burnham congratulated President Trump on a successful World Cup hosting tournament, outlined plans for British reindustrialisation, and extended an invitation to visit Manchester. He pledged that the security of the UK and its allies was of highest priority, whilst President Trump discussed the Middle East, with Burnham confirming the UK would continue to work to keep shipping routes open in the Strait of Hormuz, in line with objectives to reduce costs for people and businesses in the UK.[37] During his subsequent dialogue with President Zelenskyy, Burnham reaffirmed that the United Kingdom's diplomatic, military, and political backing for Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion remains steadfast and unchanged under his new government.[38] To conclude his initial round of foreign diplomacy, Burnham spoke with Ursula von der Leyen to express a desire to build a closer and more ambitious relationship with the European Union, resulting in an agreement for their respective teams to coordinate toward a UK-EU summit later in the year.[39][36]

Party leadership

Bev Craig won the 2026 Greater Manchester mayoral by-election.[40] Since his leadership Labour has reportedly improved in opinion polls, dubbed a "Burnham bounce".[41]

References

  1. ↑ "The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Morton, Becky; Wheeler, Brian (14 May 2026). "Who is Andy Burnham? Ex-Manchester mayor who wants to lead the country". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  3. ↑ McKiernan, Jennifer (20 November 2025). "Andy Burnham refuses to rule out challenging Starmer for leadership". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Stacey, Kiran (19 June 2026). "Astonishing' win for Andy Burnham puts pressure on Starmer to step aside". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Burnell, Paul (15 May 2026). "Josh Simons explains why he stood down to make way for Andy Burnham". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Seddon, Paul (22 June 2026). "Why did Keir Starmer resign and what could happen next?". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Burnham sworn in as MP following Starmer's resignation". ITV News. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  8. ↑ Quillen, Stephen. "UK Labour leadership nominations begin: Who's running and how it works". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Gregory, James (9 July 2026). "Andy Burnham's path to becoming prime minister". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Green, Daniel (25 June 2026). "Timetable for leadership contest confirmed by NEC". LabourList. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Labour Leadership 2026 PLP Nominations". The Labour Party. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Specia, Megan (17 July 2026). "How Andy Burnham Becomes Britain's New Prime Minister". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Talbot, Colin (16 July 2026). "Andy Burnham and the inbetweeners: The implications of Britain's first Cooperative prime minister". Civil Service World. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Gregory, James (17 July 2026). "Burnham says he is 'finalising' cabinet ahead of becoming PM on Monday". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Holl-Allen, Genevieve (20 July 2026). "The runners and riders for Burnham's Cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Langford, Eleanor; Wheeler, Caroline; Vaughan, Richard (15 July 2026). "Who will be in Burnham's cabinet? Our experts' predictions". The i Paper. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Who could be in Andy Burnham's cabinet? The potential candidates". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Clun, Rachel; Labiak, Mitchell; Race, Michael (23 June 2026). "Who is frontrunner to be the UK's next chancellor?". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  19. ↑ Ambrose, Tom; Sparrow, Andrew (20 July 2026). "Reeves and Lammy exit cabinet as Andy Burnham reshuffles top team – UK politics live". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Whannel, Kate (19 July 2026). "Andy Burnham will be bolder but stick to Labour manifesto, Lucy Powell says". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Pope, Thomas; Hourston, Peter; Shaina, Sangha (19 November 2024). "Current UK fiscal rules". Institute for Government. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Burnham, Andrew (20 July 2026). First speech as Prime Minister (Speech). Outside 10 Downing Street: gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.{{cite speech}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  23. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Kevin; Wheeler, Richard (20 July 2026). "Burnham pledges to end rough sleeping in first speech as prime minister". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  24. ↑ Stacey, Kiran (20 July 2026). "Burnham pledges to end rough sleeping in England in first speech as prime minister". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. eISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (27 July 2026). "Andy Burnham seeks cross-party agreement on future of social care". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Ambrose, Jillian; Osborne, Hilary (21 July 2026). "What will Andy Burnham's VAT cut on electricity bills mean for you?". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. eISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Peachey, Kevin (21 July 2026). "VAT to be cut from household electricity bills in October". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Campbell, John (21 July 2026). "VAT cut on household electricity bills will not apply in NI". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Crerar, Pippa; Davies, Rob (23 July 2026). "Business rates to be cut by 20% for England pubs, clubs and music venues". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. eISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 23 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  30. ↑ Topping, Alexandra (22 July 2026). "Burnham announces £2 bus fare cap across England from January". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. eISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 22 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  31. ↑ Cooke, Millie; Stavrou, Athena (23 July 2026). "Andy Burnham announces new £2 bus fare cap across England". The Independent. ISSN 1741-9743. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  32. ↑ Kotecha, Sima; Whannel, Kate (22 July 2026). "PC Harper's widow criticises early prisoner release plan as Burnham to review scheme". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Mortiz, Judith; Wittenberg, Daniel (21 July 2026). "Whitehall officials offered move to No 10 North in Manchester". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  34. ↑ Disley, Melanie (26 July 2026). "Inside Donald Trump's first phone call to Andy Burnham as Prime Minister". Bury Times. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "PM call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 20 July 2026". GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  36. 1 2 Henley, Jon (21 July 2026). "A big job ahead of him': world leaders congratulate Andy Burnham as he becomes Britain's PM". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "PM call with President Trump of the United States: 20 July 2026". GOV.UK. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  38. ↑ Mukhina, Olena (20 July 2026). "Britain's new PM Andy Burnham is opening with calls to Trump and Zelenskyy". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "PM call with the President of the European Commission: 20 July 2026". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  40. ↑ Burnell, Paul; Shoesmith, Ian (31 July 2026). "Labour's Bev Craig elected new mayor of Greater Manchester". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  41. ↑ Curtice, John (1 August 2026). "Sir John Curtice: The "Burnham bounce" is real but it's not massive". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.