Britain Politics

A protester wears a face mask mocking Andy Burnham outside Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.

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Andy Burnham becomes the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade after Starmer resigns

Andy Burnham becomes the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade after Starmer resigns

Andy Burnham has taken office as Britain’s new prime minister. He promised Monday to undertake a 10-year plan to restore political stability and revive the economy while acknowledging that six other U.K. leaders have tried and failed to do so in the past decade. Speaking outside 10 Downing St. minutes after being formally appointed by King Charles III, Burnham pledged to ease the cost of living for ordinary people, decentralize political power, revitalize industry and end street sleeping by homeless people. He said he would deliver a “circuit breaker” for a system that has taken wrong turns since the 1980s, when public services and utilities were privatized and local government eroded.