Premiership of Andy Burnham
Government of the United Kingdom since 2026
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Andy Burnham's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 20 July 2026 when he accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Keir Starmer, following Burnham's election as Leader of the Labour Party after winning the 2026 Labour Party leadership election. Upon taking office, Burnham became the first prime minister to belong to the Labour and Co-operative Party. As prime minister, Burnham concurrently serves as First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Minister for the Union.
Official portrait, 2026 | |
| Premiership of Andy Burnham 20 July 2026 – present | |
| Monarch | Charles III |
|---|---|
| Cabinet | Burnham ministry |
| Party | Labour and Co-operative Party |
| Seat | 10 Downing Street |
.svg) Coat of Arms of His Majesty's Government | |
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Andy Burnham, who had served as the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and previously ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, had been tipped since 2025 as a potential leadership challenger to Starmer, but Labour rules dictate that only MPs can stand for the leadership. Burnham won the 2026 Makerfield by-election on 18 June after the constituency's MP, Josh Simons, resigned to allow Burnham to stand. Burnham's by-election victory intensified discussion of a leadership challenge; Starmer announced his resignation four days after the by-election, on the same day that Burnham was sworn in as an MP. Nominations from MPs opened on 9 July and closed on 16 July. Burnham received 379 nominations and was the only eligible candidate, as he was nominated by over 80% of all Labour MPs.
At a final total of 94%, Burnham received the highest amount of MP nominations ever recorded in a modern Labour leadership contest, exceeding Gordon Brown who received 88% of nominations in 2007. He became the Leader of the Labour Party on 17 July 2026, and assumed the role of Prime Minister three days later, on 20 July 2026. Upon taking office, Burnham became the first prime minister to belong to the Co-operative Party.[1][2]
Ministry
Burnham started to form his cabinet on 20 July 2026, following the King accepting Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister and the King being informed Burnham can command the confidence of the House of Commons and appointing him Prime Minister, after his unopposed election as Labour leader. Prior to him beginning to form the cabinet, Burnham was nearly completely silent on the members of his cabinet,[3] leading to widespread media speculation of who it will contain,[4][5][6] especially Chancellor of the Exchequer.[7]
In the run-up to his confirmation as Labour leader and Prime Minister, Burnham promised to stick to the 2024 Labour manifesto and the fiscal rules set out by Starmer ministry Chancellor Rachel Reeves, meaning he will need to ensure the budget is balanced.[8][9]
Policies
It was announced in July 2026 that the 5% value-added tax on household electricity bills will be cut in England, Scotland, and Wales from 1 October 2026. Equivalent funding for Northern Ireland, which has its own regulations, is planned. The policy will be funded with savings from scrapping Starmer's planned digital ID scheme.[10]