New United Kingdom Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has begun his administration with a major cabinet reshuffle, removing several key allies of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and signalling a new political and economic direction for Britain.
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Burnham formally became Prime Minister after Starmer resigned and King Charles III invited him to form a government. In his final speech, Starmer said he was passing the baton to Burnham and wished him success, while AP reported that Burnham became Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade after emerging as Labour leader.
Within hours of taking office, Burnham moved to assemble a new cabinet. Rachel Reeves left as Chancellor, David Lammy was removed from his senior role, and other Starmer-era figures, including Lord Hermer, also departed from government. The reshuffle marked a decisive break from the Starmer administration and placed Burnham’s own allies and ideological partners at the centre of power.
In one of the biggest surprises of the reshuffle, Burnham appointed former Defence Secretary John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer, defying speculation that the role could go to Ed Miliband or Shabana Mahmood. Reuters also listed Wes Streeting as Defence Minister, Ed Miliband as Foreign Minister, Shabana Mahmood as reappointed Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper as Health Minister, Jonathan Reynolds as Business Minister, and Angela Rayner as Housing Minister.
The Guardian reported that Louise Haigh was named First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, while Miatta Fahnbulleh was appointed Energy Secretary, Alex Norris became Justice Secretary, and Lisa Nandy remained Culture Secretary.
Burnham used his first speech outside Downing Street to promise what he described as a “circuit breaker” for Britain, saying politicians needed to do better after years of instability. He said his government would bring forward the “biggest changes in the last forty years,” including a new political model and a new economic model.
The new Prime Minister said Britain had taken “wrong turns” since the 1980s, with political power centralised, economic power privatised and large parts of the country de-industrialised. He promised to take power out of Westminster and into communities across the country, while putting life’s essentials under stronger public control to make them affordable again.
Burnham said he would unveil immediate cost-of-living measures, including details on how they would be funded. Reports said his government was looking at measures such as easing energy bills and reducing bus fares, while other proposals, including rent controls or rent freezes, were also being discussed.
He also pledged to build more council homes, change the education system to help more young people into work, provide more mental health support, reindustrialise Britain and publish a 10-year national plan later in the year.
Burnham said his first instruction as Prime Minister would be to end rough sleeping in Britain. The government later announced an urgent national drive to end long-term rough sleeping, backed by an additional £340 million, with the first phase expected to provide 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people.
The change in leadership immediately drew political criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of taking Britain into a risky economic direction and warned against further tax rises, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for an immediate general election, arguing that Burnham’s path into Downing Street lacked a direct public mandate.
Burnham, however, ruled out an immediate general election, insisting that under Britain’s parliamentary system, a Prime Minister who commands the support of a majority in the House of Commons has legitimacy to govern. AP noted that Burnham became Labour leader after Starmer’s resignation and that, because Labour holds a parliamentary majority, its leader becomes Prime Minister without the need for a fresh general election.
The new Prime Minister also began engaging foreign leaders, with AP reporting that he spoke with United States President Donald Trump and was expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while signalling that Britain would remain a strong ally of the United States and continue supporting Ukraine.
Burnham said his administration would be focused on restoring hope, rebuilding national unity and showing that Britain could regain stability after repeated changes of leadership over the past decade.
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