Andy Burnham to become UK PM after a meeting with King Charles III

The moment for Andy Burnham has finally come. After weeks as UK prime minister-in-waiting, Burnham will take office on Monday, succeeding the departing Keir Starmer, and Britain’s political turbulence will give way, at least temporarily, to smooth choreography.

Burnham will become the seventh UK prime minister since 2016 in a now well-rehearsed handover after replacing Starmer as leader of the centre-left governing Labour Party on Friday.

A spokesperson said Burnham will say in his first speech as



prime minister he’s “acutely aware” of how many changes of leader the country has been through in the past decade, and will pledge to restore stability.

Starmer said much the same when he took office two years ago. Last month he announced he would resign after missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.

Burnham was the only candidate in a contest to become the party’s new leader, securing nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons.