*Photo: Andy Burnham, the new UK Prime Minister*
Andy Burnham has officially become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Keir Starmer. Burnham was formally sworn into office on Monday, July 20, 2026, after accepting an invitation from King Charles III to form a new government.
Keir Starmer resigned as leader of the governing Labour Party and officially stepped down. He resigned as Prime Minister because he lost the support of his party following severe local election losses and an internal party revolt.
Burnham, the new Prime Minister won a parliamentary special election four weeks ago to return to Parliament, where he was subsequently chosen as the new Labour Party leader by 379 fellow lawmakers.
Because the Labour Party holds a majority in the House of Commons, Burnham automatically became Prime Minister without the need for a general public election.
Burnham was a Member of Parliament between 2001 and 2017, serving as a minister in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.