LONDON (AP) — Andy Burnham’s moment has arrived. After spending weeks as the anticipated next leader of the United Kingdom, Burnham is set to be sworn in as prime minister on Monday, taking over from outgoing leader Keir Starmer in what is expected to be an orderly and well-practiced transfer of power.
Burnham will become the seventh person to hold the office of UK prime minister since 2016, having replaced Starmer as the head of the center-left Labour Party on Friday.
A spokesperson confirmed that in his first address as prime minister, Burnham plans to acknowledge that he is “acutely aware” of how many leadership changes the nation has experienced over the past decade, and will commit to bringing stability back to British politics.
Starmer made similar promises when he assumed office two years ago. Last month, he announced his resignation following a series of missteps and poor judgment calls that had damaged his standing within the party and among the broader public.
Burnham ran unopposed in the Labour leadership race, earning nominations from 379 of the party’s 403 members of Parliament in the House of Commons.
Monday’s transition will follow a familiar script. Starmer will travel the roughly one mile from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace to formally notify King Charles III of his resignation. Shortly afterward, Burnham will make the same journey, where the king will invite him to form a government — a ceremony historically referred to as “kissing hands,” though no actual hand-kissing takes place.
The tradition traces its roots to an era when the monarch held supreme authority and personally selected the prime minister. Today, the king holds no political power, but the monarchy still officially extends the invitation to the leader of whichever party commands a majority in the House of Commons.
Under Britain’s parliamentary system, a governing party can swap out its leader — and therefore the prime minister — without triggering a nationwide election. The next general election is not required until 2029, though Burnham has the option to call one earlier if he chooses.
After his palace visit, Burnham will head to Downing Street, where tradition calls for new prime ministers to deliver a brief speech outside the official residence.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester has promised to make politics “less toxic,” raise living standards across the nation, and “bring back the hope we have all been missing.”
“I will work to build a new politics,” he said upon being named Labour leader on Friday. “The country is crying out for it.”
Both supporters and critics are expected to quickly press Burnham for specifics on how he intends to deliver on those promises.
“Fundamentally, it only will work if you can generate significant economic growth, because it’s the lack of growth that’s really holding the country back,” said Joshi Herrmann, who has covered Burnham’s career as the founder of Manchester news site The Mill.
Much of the early attention will focus on who Burnham selects for his Cabinet. He is widely expected to shake up Starmer’s top team, particularly in the key roles of Treasury chief, foreign secretary, and home secretary. As of Friday, Burnham said he had not yet finalized those decisions.
In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham credited Starmer’s record, saying he would “build on the foundation laid” by his predecessor.
Starmer had taken over Labour leadership in 2020 following the party’s worst-ever election defeat, and went on to lead it to a sweeping victory four years later. However, the challenges of governing proved difficult to manage.
At his final Prime Minister’s Questions session in Parliament on Wednesday, Starmer defended his government’s track record on the world stage — highlighting support for Ukraine — as well as domestic accomplishments including stronger worker protections, reduced child poverty, legislation aimed at preventing official cover-ups following tragedies, and increased defense spending.
“I am proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it,” he said.
