London, July 21: Former Manchester mayor and senior Labour Party leader Andy Burnham has officially taken office as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK).
Andy Burnham took office after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London. He fills the vacancy left by the resignation of Keir Starmer and becomes Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in the past decade, since 2016.
Buckingham Palace has released a photo of the “Kissing Hands” ceremony, the traditional ceremony of handing over power. According to a palace statement, “His Majesty met with Andy Burnham and requested him to form a new government. Burnham accepted the offer and took office as Prime Minister.”
After this, outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister, saying that his job was done. He resigned under pressure from his own party, saying, “Britain is stronger and fairer now than it was when I took office two years ago.”
Who is Andy Burnham?:
56-year-old Andy Burnham is a veteran Labour politician. He has previously served as an MP and a minister in Labour governments. He later became a hugely popular figure as the mayor of Greater Manchester. He is known in political circles as the ‘King of the North’ for his constant advocacy for the cities and regional empowerment of Britain’s north.
He returned to Parliament through a by-election last month and has promised to bring unity and hope to the country. Burnham takes office at a difficult time, with Britain currently facing an economic recession and a severe public finance crisis.