Andy Burnham, the ‘King of the North’, has become Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in the decade since Brexit | Today’s news

Andy Burnham has been appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, becoming the country’s seventh leader in just 10 years since it left the European Union in 2016. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned and was replaced by the former mayor of Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham is officially the 59th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was invited by King Charles to form a government in a private meeting at Buckingham Palace.

Andy Burnham became leader of Britain’s ruling centre-left Labor Party on Friday (18 July) after Keir Starmer resigned – becoming the shortest-serving Labor prime minister in history – following pressure from within the party amid lagging polls and Burnham’s return to parliament.

The handover is a carefully orchestrated process involving trips to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles III, who technically invites the incoming prime minister to form a government.

“His Majesty received the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP in audience and asked him to form a new administration. The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted the King’s offer and kissed his hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.” Buckingham Palace said in an official statement.

“Mrs. Marie-France van Heel was also received by His Majesty,” the statement added.

A Catholic Prime Minister – a first ever for Downing Street

Andy Burnham’s appointment makes him the first British Prime Minister to identify as Catholic, a milestone in the nation’s religious and political history.

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Legislation and convention rooted in the Reformation in the 16th century, when the English crown separated from the Roman Catholic Church, effectively barred Catholics from holding office for centuries.

Andy Burnham – From Mayor of Greater Manchester to Number 10

Before joining Downing Street, Andy Burnham served as Mayor of Greater Manchester in North West England. He secured the Labor leadership after winning the support of his parliamentary colleagues following Starmer’s resignation.

His journey back to Westminster began by winning a by-election in Makerfield, north-west England, last month, in a contest announced specifically to allow him to stand as a sitting member of parliament and take over the leadership of Labour.

Labor won the general election by a landslide less than two years ago, yet Starmer’s authority has steadily eroded as Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform UK party and the left-wing Green Party have gained in opinion polls. Burnham’s allies argued that he was the only figure capable of halting Labour’s declining fortunes, given Starmer’s deep unpopularity.

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Over recent years, Burnham has developed a reputation as one of Britain’s most popular politicians, whose charisma often overshadows the tensions in his public identity. Despite often presenting himself as an outsider to Westminster politics, he became a parliamentary researcher at 24, a special adviser at 28 and a member of parliament at 31.

During his sixteen years in Parliament, Burnham served under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, eventually becoming Health Secretary, before making two unsuccessful bids for the Labor leadership, in 2010 and 2015. In the 2015 contest, he was soundly defeated by Jeremy Corbyn, whose victory moved the party further to the left.

Although Burnham initially remained in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, his move to become mayor of Manchester in 2017 allowed him to step out largely from the factional battles that engulfed Labor during and after Corbyn’s leadership.

How can the UK change Prime Minister without a general election

Unlike the presidential systems of India or France, the British Prime Minister is not directly elected by the public. The role goes to the leader of whichever political party has the majority of MPs in the House of Commons. The only voters who cast a vote for the prime minister by name are those in his own constituency.

Read also | Andy Burnham promises hope. Britain needs more than that

This structure means that a party can replace its leader, and therefore the Prime Minister, without calling a general election, a pattern that has become increasingly common in recent British politics.

Burnham could decide to call a general election as Prime Minister, although he has given no indication that he intends to do so. Under current rules, he will have to face voters no later than August 15, 2029, the latest date allowed for the next general election.

Some opposition parties are pushing for immediate elections, arguing that Burnham, who was not even an MP until a month ago, lacks a democratic mandate to lead the country. In response, Burnham said he intended to broadly follow the policies set out in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, pointing to his recent Makerfield by-election victory as evidence of voter support.