‘King of the North’ Andy Burnham becomes 7th British prime minister in a decade - NBC News

LONDON — Over to you, Andy Burnham. The man dubbed the “King of the North” became the new British prime minister Monday, the latest in a revolving door of leaders trying to halt a decade of political turbulence and economic stagnation in the United Kingdom. Burnham, 56, was appointed unchallenged after the unpopular Keir Starmer agreed to step down last month following a series of election defeats, U-turns and scandals. Both Starmer and Burnham come from the same center-left Labour Party, and in the United Kingdom ruling parties can change leaders — and therefore the prime minister — in the middle of an election cycle without anyone voting. That said, Burnham has promised radical change after taking office following a morning of royal formality, though he already faces infighting over his Cabinet selections. Burnham reappointed ‌Shabana Mahmood as ​interior ‌minister, but he moved several members of Starmer’s team out of their roles. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was appointed as foreign minister in place of Yvette Cooper and John Healey became finance minister. Healey, the former defense minister, helped to trigger the departure of Starmer by accusing him of failing to spend enough money on keeping the country safe. Making his first speech as prime minister outside No. 10 Downing St., Burnham vowed a “circuit breaker for Britain” that would involve “the biggest changes of the past 40 years.” In keeping with the more casual style he’s sought to project, Burnham eschewed the lectern favored by his predecessors, instead speaking while standing freely in the famous street. He said that later this year he would announce a “10-year plan” for Britain, but also that he would be doing things “to give people some breathing space now,” including “some help with the cost of living,” he said. His first “instruction,” Burnham said, would be to “end rough sleeping in our country.” He said, “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.” President Donald Trump said he a good call with Burnham on Monday and noted that they would be meeting in the “not too distant future.” “I had a very good conversation with the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham. We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK. We will be meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest,” Trump wrote in a post on X. “The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help! We discussed North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics. The call was interesting, and went very well. I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!” The incoming leader has a heaving inbox: how to solve Britain’s cost-of-living crisis, revive its ailing National Health Service, and navigate bitter debates over immigration and Europe. He must also fend off the challenge from Reform UK, the hard-right party led by Trump ally Nigel Farage, which tops the polls. While there has been little doubt over this outcome for weeks, Burnham’s path to the top job has been a winding one — from Westminster insider to the mayor of Greater Manchester and, eventually, a commanding special election win that sealed his return to Parliament and paved the way for the handover now playing out. Monday started with the pageantry of a now-familiar political handover (Burnham being Britain’s seventh prime minister in a little more than a decade and the fifth in four years). He had already replaced Starmer as Labour leader. Then, early Monday, Starmer declared, “My work is done,” as he delivered a farewell speech outside his official residence at No. 10 Downing St. Starmer was then driven to Buckingham Palace, where he offered his resignation to King Charles III. After he left, Burnham arrived at the palace, and the king asked him to form a government. This ceremony is known as “kissing hands,” though new leaders aren’t actually expected to do that these days. Burnham then made the short drive back to Downing Street, where he was set to make a landmark speech laying out his vision for the country. Burnham has promised “to pass power from the authorities to ordinary people” and “to build a new politics — the country is crying out for it,” he said in a speech Friday. “Let’s have the courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected,” he added, vowing to reverse the “wrong turns” that Britain began to take in the 1980s when “political power was centralized, and economic power was privatized.” Abroad, he will also have to navigate his relationship with Trump, who he said would be one of his first calls alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy. At first, Trump dismissed Burnham as “the mayor of a town” and “extremely liberal,” but over the weekend the president lauded (and possibly overinterpreted) hints that Burnham may take a softer approach to Britain’s North Sea, where new oil and gas exploration licenses are currently halted by climate policies. The shift would take “the United Kingdom from a Poverty Stricken Disaster to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the world,” Trump said on Truth Social. Burnham has said his support of Ukraine would be “steadfast” and “resolute,” and after he became prime minister Monday, Zelenskyy wished him “every success.” European Council President Antonio Costa said he looked forward to deepening “our cooperation” with the U.K. Burnham has said he would like Britain to rejoin the European Union in his lifetime but that it’s not an immediate priority. Several other European leaders, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and the Netherlands’ Rob Jetten, also offered their congratulations. Starmer’s handling of Trump and foreign policy in general was seen as one of his successes. Ultimately, though, his early exit caps a remarkable fall from grace after a landslide election victory just two years ago. “I go with a smile,” Starmer said in front of a crowd of sunglass-wearing supporters in the warm Monday morning sunshine. Some of these addresses can be painful and emotional, but Starmer sought to project pride in his achievements, including economic growth and lower figures for net migration. He said Burnham “has my full support,” adding that the job had been “the privilege of my life.”