Andy Burnham has officially begun his tenure as the United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, pledging to restore political stability and rebuild public confidence in government during his first address outside 10 Downing Street on Monday.
Burnham made the speech shortly after returning from Buckingham Palace, where King Charles III formally invited him to form a new government following the resignation of Keir Starmer.
Speaking without prepared notes, the new prime minister acknowledged the political instability that has characterised British politics in recent years.
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge: to make politics work, to make it work better,” Burnham said.
The 56-year-old succeeds Keir Starmer, who earlier on Monday formally resigned after delivering a farewell speech in which he described serving as prime minister as “the privilege of my life.”
Burnham became leader of the governing Labour Party on Friday after Starmer stepped down following mounting pressure from within the party and declining public approval ratings.
His appointment marks another significant political transition in the United Kingdom, making him the country’s seventh prime minister in the past decade.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester is expected to unveil his new cabinet and outline key policy priorities in the coming days, with economic recovery, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and restoring confidence in government expected to top his agenda.
