Andy Burnham becomes Britain’s 7th prime minister in a decade: Here’s a look at his cabinet as Britain grapples with political turmoil | Today’s news
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham took over as the country’s newest prime minister on Monday (local time) after his predecessor Keir Starmer stepped down last month.
Burnham, who became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, was formally asked by King Charles III to form a government at Buckingham Palace on Monday, which the former confirmed he had accepted.
In his first speech on Monday, the new British prime minister said: “We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, we will bring a new political model and a new economic model.” He added: “(We’ll build) a new economy where we put essentials back under stronger public control so they’re affordable again, and we’ll reindustrialise Britain using public procurement to support British industry.”
Quick answers to key questions
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Andy Burnham’s cabinet includes notable appointments such as John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary and Yvette Cooper as Health Secretary, among others.
Burnham stressed the need for a new economic model to address years of instability and move towards stronger public control of essentials in the hope of making them more affordable.
Burnham intends to announce new proposals to ease the cost of living pressures facing families, which she sees as a key issue for her government.
Yes, Burnham has promised a ‘disruptor’ approach and is advocating major transformations in political and economic strategies to restore stability to the UK.
Burnham made ending rough sleeping a top priority and promised to take immediate action to tackle homelessness in England as one of his first acts as Prime Minister.
Read also | Andy Burnham promised to tackle housing costs in his FIRST speech as Britain’s new Prime Minister
As Burnham takes over the leadership of the UK, here’s a look at his cabinet:
1. John Healey: According to The Independent, Healey was appointed chancellor in Burnham’s cabinet. A long-standing member of the Labor team, he held ministerial roles under the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and later served in the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn. Healey will now lead the Treasury, the ministry that prompted his departure from government in June.
2. Ed Miliband: Burnham appointed Miliband as foreign secretary, marking his return to a high-profile role after the Corbyn era. Miliband previously served as energy secretary in Keir Starmer’s government. His appointment is seen as a reflection of his experience in international diplomacy and dealing with foreign governments during his tenure overseeing energy policy.
3. Shabana Mahmood: Under Burnham’s government, Mahmood will continue to serve as Home Secretary. In her role as Home Secretary, she led the previous government’s work to introduce tighter controls on migration. Mahmood, an Oxford-educated former barrister, previously served as justice minister when Labor first came to power before being appointed home secretary. She is one of the first Muslim women elected to the House of Commons when she won the Birmingham Ladywood seat in 2010.
4. Louise Haigh: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Secretary of State, Haigh became a prominent part of Burnham’s plan to return to Westminster and enter Downing Street. According to the report, she is expected to lead Burnham’s priorities for the UK government across Whitehall, including the devolution agenda. It is also expected to address the cost of living crisis.
Read also | Starmer Strategist is leaving Downing Street after two weeks
5. Yvette Cooper: Cooper, who served as Home Secretary and then Foreign Secretary under the Starmer-led government, was appointed Health Secretary. She has reportedly been tasked with overhauling the social care sector, an area Burnham has said will be one of his key priorities as the new prime minister.
6. Wes Streeting: Streeting, who had previously been seen as Burnham’s main rival to replace Starmer as Prime Minister, was appointed Defense Secretary as part of his cabinet. He quit as health secretary earlier in May, informing Starmer in his resignation letter that “it is now clear you will not lead Labor into the next general election”, and days later told reporters he would enter the contest to replace Sir Keir.
7. Pat McFadden: McFadden, a veteran Labor leader, was appointed Work and Pensions Secretary and was once considered a Starmer loyalist.
8. Angela Rayner: Rayner returned to frontline politics as housing minister after resigning from the same role in Starmer’s government last year over tax issues, along with the posts of Labor deputy leader and deputy prime minister.
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9. Jonathan Reynolds: Reynolds returned as business secretary, a role he held when the Labor Party won its first election before being moved to become the party’s chief whip.
10. Lucy Powell: Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has served in Starmer’s cabinet in various roles and remains the party’s deputy leader. She will now serve as Secretary of Education under the Burnham government.
11. Anneliese Midgley: Midgley will join the Cabinet as Chief Whip, the government’s senior official responsible for maintaining party discipline in Parliament. But the role could take on a different character under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has previously voiced opposition to the traditional whipping system used to ensure MPs back the government’s position in parliamentary votes.
12. Bridget Phillipson: Phillipson, a close ally of the Starmers, lost her post as education minister but continued as minister for women and equalities, a position she would continue to hold under Burnham’s government.
13. Lisa Nandy: Nandy will continue in her role as culture minister and is seen as a close ally of Burnham.
14. Alex Norris: The British prime minister appointed Norris as justice minister after previously serving as minister of state for border security and asylum.
Read also | How can ‘King of the North’ Andy Burnham topple Kier Starmer to claim No.10?
15. Lady Angela Eagle: Dame Angela, who served as Minister of State for Pensions and Aging under Gordon Brown, will serve as Environment Secretary.
16. Because of Fahnbulleh: Fahnbulleh, who stepped down from her role as housing minister earlier this year in protest at Starmer’s leadership, has now been appointed energy minister.
17. Ellie Reeves: Ellie Reeves, sister of former chancellor Rachel Reeves, will now serve as Attorney General after serving as Attorney General from September 2025.
18. Heidi Alexander: Alexander, MP for Swindon South, will continue in her role as Transport Secretary, which she has held since November 2024.
19. Chris Bryant: He previously served as Secretary of State for Business and has now been appointed Northern Ireland Secretary.
20. Douglas Alexander: He was re-appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland and previously served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Transport and Secretary for International Development in the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown cabinets.
21. Stephen Kinnock: He replaces Jo Stevens as Welsh Secretary. Kinnock previously served as care minister under the Starmer-led government.
The new cabinet is expected to play a key role in shaping Burnham’s policy agenda once his government begins its term.
