Andy Burnham becomes UK prime minister, purges cabinet of Starmer loyalists
Andy Burnham has been appointed as the new UK Prime Minister, immediately initiating a cabinet reshuffle and outlining a 10-year economic plan. He has already engaged in diplomatic calls with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Why it matters
This represents a major shift in UK leadership and policy direction, with immediate implications for international relations and domestic economic strategy.
LONDON, July 21 — New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham took power Monday, purging the cabinet of his predecessor’s loyalists as he promised a 10-year plan to ease cost-of-living pressures and signalled a tilt to the left.
He immediately got to work after replacing Keir Starmer in Downing Street, holding separate calls with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky before appointing his ministerial team.
Burnham, 56, pledged to re-industrialise Britain and decentralise power as well as end sleeping rough on the streets after he met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace to become the head of government following Starmer’s departure.
The monarch’s fourth prime minister since he acceded to the throne in 2022, and Britain’s seventh in just over a decade, Burnham said the country needed to show the world it could “regain stability”.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in