Pledging to ‘rewire Britain’, ‘King of the North’ Burnham becomes PM
Andy Burnham reacts as he speaks after being confirmed as the Labour Party’s new leader and the country’s next Prime Minister, during ‘Labour’s Special Conference’ in London, Britain, July 17, 2026. HENRY NICHOLLS/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) – Andy Burnham, dubbed the ‘King of the North’, becomes Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, promising to “rewire” the nation to better focus on issues people care about, such as a cost-of-living crisis and poorly performing services.
JULY 20, 2026 – REUTERS
After Keir Starmer makes his farewell speech outside his Number 10 Downing Street office and tenders his resignation formally to King Charles, Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, will also meet the monarch to become prime minister.
Then the hard work begins.
Burnham, 56, faces a long list of problems, from Britain’s underperforming utilities to anaemic economic growth, and must first unveil his top team of ministers – already the subject of much debate in the governing Labour Party.
BURNHAM TO LAY OUT NEW GOVERNMENT PATH
Describing his election to become Labour leader as “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years”, Burnham has promised to radically change Britain’s political system to quickly raise living standards.
“The government I lead will confidently lay that path out starting next week,” he said on Friday when he promised to offer Britain the hope and change the country “was crying out for”.
