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Burnham takes office
Andy Burnham became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade after Keir Starmer traveled from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace to formally tell King Charles III that he was resigning, and Charles asked Burnham to form a government.
“Andy Burnham has needed two decades, two defeats in internal elections, and a detour through Manchester to reach Downing Street”
The BBC said Burnham has started building his new cabinet after taking office following Starmer’s resignation, and it noted that Hilary Benn was replaced by a former Anglican priest as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.
In his first speech, Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping in England, allocating an additional £340m over three years to replicate homelessness schemes he rolled out in Greater Manchester.
The Guardian reported that Burnham spoke in front of Downing Street immediately after becoming prime minister and said he would try to get people off the streets “at the earliest opportunity.”
Cabinet shake-up
As Burnham began forming his government, AP reported that in the coming hours he would appoint his new Cabinet after sweeping away senior figures from Keir Starmer’s administration, including Treasury chief Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
CNN said Lammy announced his departure from the Cabinet on X, writing, “I would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet, but a new Prime Minister is entitled to build his own team.”
The BBC said its interactive guide would be updated as new appointments are made, and it described Annita McVeigh talking through key appointments as Burnham took office.
The Guardian reported that Steve Reed, the housing secretary who oversaw the previous homelessness strategy, was sacked from his post on Monday as Burnham began the process of putting his cabinet together.
Cost of living and housing
Burnham’s early agenda included cost-of-living measures, with AP saying he told reporters that on Tuesday he will announce the first of his plans to help people with the cost of living.
“Andy Burnham will formally become the UK's prime minister on Monday after King Charles III invites him to form a government, marking another chapter in a period of political upheaval that has seen seven prime ministers in a decade”
The Guardian said the extra £340m would come from unused parts of the housing department’s budget and would pay for 1,200 new homes and help support 3,000 people over five years.
In the same Guardian report, Burnham’s rough sleeping pledge was framed against criticism that despite a similar goal as Greater Manchester mayor, he oversaw four years of rising street homelessness.
The Guardian also quoted Burnham saying, “We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.”
