LONDON: Veteran British politician Andy Burnham was officially confirmed as the new leader of the ruling Labour Party on Friday, paving the way for him to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister after succeeding Keir Starmer.
Announcing the result at a special Labour Party conference, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said: “There being no other eligibly nominated candidate, it is therefore my honour to declare that the duly elected leader of the Labour Party is Andy Burnham.”
Burnham replaces Starmer, who stepped down last month following months of political controversy, scandals and policy setbacks.
Addressing party members after his confirmation, Burnham said he was still considering appointments to his senior leadership team.
“I haven’t made any decisions yet about who will be in that top team. But I will soon, and when I have, you will see it reflects all parts of our party, all communities,” he said.
As Labour continues to hold a commanding majority in Parliament following its 2024 general election victory, Burnham will assume the office of prime minister without a nationwide election.
His rise comes only weeks after returning to Parliament through a by-election, ending a nine-year absence from Westminster. He is expected to formally take office on Monday, becoming Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
Labour lawmakers believe Burnham is well-positioned to counter the growing popularity of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party ahead of the next general election, expected in 2029.
Known as the “King of the North” for winning three consecutive terms as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham has championed greater devolution of powers to English cities. One of his key proposals is the creation of a “Number 10 North” office to help drive regional economic growth.
Speaking about his vision for the country, Burnham said: “The past four decades since the 1980s have not been kind to the places that built our party, nor to the communities across the UK in rural and coastal areas. So we pledge today, to them, to be better.”
He added: “If we want an economy and a country that works for all people and places… then it requires a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years.”
Burnham also pledged to maintain a business-friendly approach while leading the Labour government.
“I will be a pro-business leader of the Labour Party, as I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester,” he said.
“We turn places round together, and that is the way we ran in Manchester, and we will take to the whole country,” he added.
Discussing the economy, Burnham argued that stronger public oversight of essential services was necessary to tackle inflation.
“If we don’t have sufficient public control over the cost of the essentials, how can we have control over inflation, public spending, and the rest of the economy?” he said.
He also promised to restore optimism across Britain, telling delegates: “People and places… have been waiting too long for politics to let them hope again… We’re going to give them hope back.”
“I am for us, for all of us,” he added to loud applause.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Born in Liverpool in 1970 and raised in Cheshire, Burnham studied English at the University of Cambridge before beginning his career in journalism and later entering politics. He was first elected to Parliament in 2001 and served in several cabinet positions under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown before leaving Parliament in 2017.
Burnham unsuccessfully contested the Labour leadership twice before serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until last month, earning recognition for improving the region’s transport network and advocating for northern England.
His return to Parliament through a by-election last month strengthened support among Labour MPs for his leadership bid, prompting several senior party figures, including former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, to back his candidacy.
Burnham is married to Marie-France van Heel, whom he met while studying at Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, in 1989. The couple have been married since the early 2000s and have three children: Jimmy, Rosie and Annie. Van Heel has worked in marketing and strategy and contributed to branding projects for the BBC, Sky and England Rugby.
