Newly elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party Andy Burnham at Gravesend, Kent, Britain, on July 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was elected without contest to the leadership of the Labour party on Friday (July 17, 2026). He is now slated to replace Keir Starmer as U.K. Prime Minister on Monday (July 20, 2026).
In a speech on Friday (July 17, 2026) to a specially convened conference of Labour MPs, Mr. Burnham paid tribute to the man he ousted as went on to lay out his plans for Labour and the country, calling the transition the most significant “change moment” in British politics in 40 years.
Mr. Burnham outlined five priority directions for his government, starting with a commitment to end infighting within Labour —which played a part in Mr. Starmer’s downfall and his own rise— and the “insidious briefing culture” at Downing Street. He also said he would not punish Labour MPs who had views different from his. This was a reference of not ‘withdrawing the whip’ from MPs, as Mr. Starmer had done, who did not want to vote along party lines on legislation.
“I will work to build a new politics.” Mr. Burnham said, adding that he wanted to end the political turbulence Britain had seen since 2016 and build consensus where possible. However, under him Labour would not “try to out-Green the Greens, or out-Reform the Reform or doing what we’ve done in the past of wearing too many Tory clothes”, he added.
“Let me tell you, I’m quite happy that [Conservatives Leader] Kemi [Badenoch] doesn’t approve of my wardrobe,” Mr. Burnham quipped, adding that he did not approve of Tory clothes either. Mr. Burnham is known to wear attire that is more casual than is the usual practice for U.K. Prime Ministers. His “Manchester clothes” —usually a T-shirt and blazer— have been the subject of discussion. Last month, Ms. Badenoch told the U.K. House of Commons that Mr. Starmer had been abandoned by his colleagues for “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt”.
On Friday (July 17, 2026), Mr. Burnham promised to set a direction for government that is “distinctively” Labour. He said that Britain had taken a wrong turn in the 1980s and the country had surrendered control of essentials like water and housing.
The former Manchester Mayor is known to champion the idea of greater public control of utilities and recently announced that he would kick-starting the largest ever public housing boom since the Post-War period.
Large parts of Britain had been “de-industrialised”, Mr. Burnham said in his latest speech, adding, “And that is why this change today is the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years.”
The Prime Minister-in-Waiting emphasised that while he previously was focused on Manchester, he would now focus on all of the U.K. Mr. Burnham reiterated his pledge to reduce the concentration of decision making power in London and distribute it, along with economic growth, across the country.
Burnham’s praise for predecessor Starmer
Mr. Burnham praised his predecessor as having put Labour in a position to change lives, taking the party from its “worst defeat” to a landslide victory in 2024. Among the outgoing Prime Minister’s achievements, he cited new rights for workers and renters, falling waitlists for medical appointments, the end of hereditary ‘Lords’ right to sit and vote in Parliament, and the rebuilding of Britain’s international reputation.
He also said Mr. Starmer — who was a public prosecutor — had led the party in undertaking “the biggest rebalancing of the scales of justice this country has ever seen”, referring to the ‘Hillsborough’ law passed earlier this week. The law requires public officials to act with transparency and makes it an offence for them to mislead the public.
Mr. Burnham is due to take the reins of power from Mr. Starmer shortly after noon on Monday (July 20, 2026).
Published – July 17, 2026 05:06 pm IST
