Andy Burnham elected Labour party leader, set to be next UK Prime Minister

4 min readUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 06:00 PM IST

Andy Burnham, Britain's new Labour leader and incoming UK Prime Minister, outside a government building in London. (AP Photo)

UK’s Andy Burnham is now leader of the labour party. The Makerfield MP was confirmed to be the party leader at a special conference in central London, before he becomes PM on Monday, BBC  reported.

Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary, says, “it’s hardly a nailbiter, folks” as she confirms that Burnham is the new Labour leader, The Guardian reported.

In his first speech as leader of the Labour Party, Burnham tells the crowd he’s “ready to lead the party and to build on the foundations laid by Keir Starmer,” BBC reported. He said that under Starmer the party went from its worst defeat to their best victory and put Labour in a position to change people’s lives.

He cites a number of his predecessor’s achievements, including falling NHS waiting times and rebuilding Britain’s reputation on the world stage.

Why Keir Starmer resigned as PM

Starmer campaigned on the promise of “Change” to create a “fairer, healthier, and a more secure Britain”, but he struggled to deliver on his electoral promises and fell to the same post-Brexit malady that has troubled British politics and economy for a decade now.

Trouble began to brew in the very first 100 days, often considered the honeymoon period for new leaders, of his government when he and his other Cabinet Ministers were accused of accepting gifts and free tickets for football and concerts worth thousands of pounds.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Burnham, 56, is one of Britain’s most recognisable regional politicians, having served as Greater Manchester’s mayor since 2017. Before that, he spent 16 years as a member of parliament, rising through the ranks of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments to become health secretary.

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He ran twice for the Labour Party leadership in 2010 and 2015 losing the second contest to veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn.

Following Labour’s defeat in the 2015 general election, Burnham stepped away from Westminster politics and was elected the inaugural Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. He won re-election twice.

What is Andy Burnham known for?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Burnham gained national prominence after publicly clashing with Boris Johnson’s Conservative government over financial support for northern England during local lockdowns. His campaign for greater regional powers and investment helped strengthen his image as a champion of devolution.

His return to Parliament came through the Makerfield by-election in northwest England, restoring his place at Westminster after nine years and positioning him as Labour’s leading contender following Starmer’s resignation.

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Who’ll be part of Burham’s top team?

Burnham says the party must start by recognising that “this generation of politicians” has failed to challenge a political culture and economic model that “simply doesn’t work well enough for ordinary people”. “We pledge to them to be better,” he says.

He added that he’ll work to build unity by respecting all shades of opinion, adding that he hasn’t decided yet who will be in his top team but says it will reflect voices from across the party.

Burnham’s first speech as Labour Party leader

“I am ready to lead and to build on the foundation laid by one person more than any other. Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, we went from our worst defeat to one of the best victories in our history,” Burham said in his speech.

Keir put Labour back in a position to change people’s lives and that is what we have been doing these last two years, he added.

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