Andy Burnham has been appointed as new UK Prime Minister
Andy Burnham has officially been elected as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain.
The news comes in the weeks following the resignation of former Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who announced on 22 June he'd leave Downing Street after two years in the position.
"Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first," the 63-year-old said at the time. "That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty, the King, this morning to inform him of my decision."
Announcing he'll stay in office until a contest for the position 'is complete', Starmer added: "In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.
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"I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support. Knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago."
Starmer delivered a farewell speech outside of 10 Downing Street earlier today (20 Jul), thanking his supporters and wishing Burnham well.
He subsequently travelled to Buckingham Palace to hand his official resignation in to King Charles III.
Why Burnham has long been backed as new PM:
Burnham had long been considered the strongest contender to replace Starmer, especially following his victory in the Makerfield by-election last month, which secured him seat in Parliament and a launchpad to challenge the outgoing PM for the leadership.
He was sworn-in as Makerfield's MP in Westminster just five hours after Starmer's speech was delivered.
Following the official resignation declaration, Burnham announced his intention to run for the PM position, praising his colleague's 'huge service to our country' during a 'challenging period' for British politics.
"His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way," the Aintree, Merseyside-born politician said at the time. "I will put myself forward as part of this process.
"The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get."
Burnham, 56, added: "As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation."
The former Manchester mayor quickly received the backing of ex-Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who'd previously been considered Burnham's biggest contender for the role.
"Having spoken at length with Andy in recent days, I'm convinced that there is a place for those ideas under his leadership; that he is committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions; and that he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism," Streeting said in an official statement the same day as Starmer's resignation.
"We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs. That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.
"We were elected change our country, to show that politics can be a force for good, and to spread opportunity for everyone. With Andy, we still can."
Becoming Labour leader:
In early July, Burnham was nominated as the new Labour leader by 379 of the 407 party MPs, which made it mathematically impossible for any rival to compete against him in a leadership race.
On Friday (17 Jul), he became the official leader of the Labour Party following a special conference, promising in his speech that his government will have to 'courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected, as well as the 'conviction to argue for our plans'.
Burnham also vowed the following days would be about 'more than changing who governs Britain', but 'about changing how Britain is governed'.
"This is our chance to put power back where it belongs," he added.
What policies will Burnham prioritise?
In terms of his priorities, it's expected that Burnham begin by expanding public ownership, having indicated he'd nationalise Thames Water as part of a longer-term plan to bring more essential services under public control.
This move could eventually extend to other water companies and parts of the energy network, possibly lowering bills and improving accountability.
With the cost-of-living in mind, Burnham has also suggested a temporary rent freeze and changes to the way energy bills are funded.
As opposed to loading policy costs onto household bills, he has suggested moving some of those charges into general taxation, and signalled support for tax reforms while shutting down an increase in income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
He also seeks to shift power away from Westminster, having long argued that too much decision-making is concentrated in London and wants a significant transfer of powers to regional leaders.
He also promised to give mayors and local authorities more control over services like transport, housing, skills, and potentially even education and health.
Burnham claimed last week that Britain took 'a series of wrong turns in the 1980s', when 'political power was centralised and economic power privatised'.
In terms of the workings of Parliament, believing MPs should have more freedom to represent their constituents rather than always following party instructions, Burnham has also spoken about loosening the party 'whip' system that currently pressures MPs to vote with their party leadership in a bid to make politics feel more democratic.
He's also criticised Britain's first-past-the-post voting system and suggested creating a national commission to look at alternatives that could better reflect how people vote across the country.
In a video shared last week, Burnham also vowed to 'expend quite a lot of political capital' on social care, reflecting on his father's own experience with Alzheimer's.
Topics: Politics, UK News, News, Keir Starmer
Rhianna Benson