Burnham pledges to 'bring back hope' as he makes Healey chancellor
Andy Burnham has been sworn in as the new UK Prime Minister, pledging a major 10-year plan to restore hope and address the cost-of-living crisis. He has initiated a cabinet reshuffle, appointing John Healey as Chancellor and moving several key figures into new ministerial roles.
Why it matters
This marks a significant shift in UK leadership and policy direction, signaling a departure from the previous administration's cabinet and fiscal priorities.
Image source, Jeff Overs/BBC By Richard Wheeler , Political reporter and Jack Fenwick , Political correspondent Published 20 July 2026, 20:03 BST Updated 1 hour ago Andy Burnham pledged to "bring back hope" to Britain, as he began his tenure as prime minister by appointing Labour stalwart John Healey as chancellor.
In his first speech to the nation in Downing Street, Burnham said he wanted to bring forward the "biggest changes in the last 40 years" to British politics.
He outlined his intention to unveil a 10-year "new plan for Britain" later this year, explaining this would lay out a path to where he believes "we all want Britain to be".
Burnham promised to make announcements this week to "give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living" and explain how he would pay for them.
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