Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister

Andy Burnham has become Prime Minister, after being appointed by the King at Buckingham Palace on 20 July.

Burnham, who was elected unopposed as Labour leader on 17 July, succeeds Sir Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation in June.

Unopposed

Burnham received 379 nominations from Labour MPs, more than 90 per cent of the parliamentary party, making it impossible for anyone else to stand. It is a higher share than Gordon Brown received when he was elected unopposed in 2007.

He became MP for Makerfield in Greater Manchester in June, after winning a by-election.

Firsts

Burnham is the first prime minister to have been raised a Catholic, and the first to be a member of the Co-operative Party, the sister party of Labour.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Burnham, 56, was born in Liverpool and grew up in Culcheth, near Warrington. He was MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017, and served in the cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including as Health Secretary.

He stood for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, and was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. As mayor, he became known as the "King of the North" for standing up for the region during the coronavirus pandemic, and for bringing buses back under public control.

He has long campaigned for justice for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster and the infected blood scandal.

A new cabinet

Burnham has begun forming his cabinet, with major changes expected. He has said his government will be a cost of living government, focused on helping families with bills.

He has already said he will scrap plans for digital ID cards, and has promised to give more power to the regions, including a Downing Street office in the north of England.

Reaction

Opposition parties have called for a general election, arguing that voters should have their say on the new prime minister.

The challenges

He takes over at a difficult time. The war with Iran has pushed up prices, the economy is growing slowly, and Labour is behind in the opinion polls.

Burnham's departure as mayor means a new Mayor of Greater Manchester will be chosen.