Overview
- Andy Burnham was formally appointed prime minister by King Charles on Monday and moved into the prime ministerial residence to replace Keir Starmer.
- He has set decentralization as his flagship policy, pledging to shift some government functions to Manchester and to back local public ownership of utilities to boost regional growth.
- Burnham is finalizing his cabinet and is expected to announce ministerial appointments later today as he seeks quick momentum for the new government.
- On taking office he held a phone call with President Donald Trump in which he told the president the UK plans to host next year’s G20 in Manchester, and he signalled continued support for Ukraine and closer ties with the EU.
- The leadership change comes after weak local election results for Labour and rising support for Reform UK, making early policy wins and visible delivery on services key to restoring public trust before the next general election.