Changing of the Guard

UK: Meet the Burnham Government – Miliband as Foreign Secretary, Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer

Shabana Mahmood has been confirmed as Home Secretary: having joined the government alongside Miliband, she will retain responsibility for home security matters. The new cabinet also includes Louise Haigh, who had left the government in 2024: she has been appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

by Nicol Degli Innocenti

20 July 2026

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A sinistra: il neo-nominato primo ministro britannico Andy Burnham saluta con la mano davanti al numero 10 di Downing Street insieme alla moglie Marie-France van Heel dopo aver assunto l’incarico, a Londra, Gran Bretagna, il 20 luglio 2026. (REUTERS/Isabel Infantes). A destra: il primo ministro uscente britannico Keir Starmer e sua moglie Victoria lasciano Downing Street diretti a Buckingham Palace, per presentare le dimissioni formali al re Carlo III, a Londra, Gran Bretagna, il 20 luglio 2026. Il nuovo leader laburista Andy Burnham è destinato a diventare il prossimo primo ministro del Regno Unito il 20 luglio, subentrando ufficialmente a Starmer. (EPA/Neil Hall) REUTERS e EPA

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

LONDON – A changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace today: outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer tendered his resignation to King Charles III, who shortly afterwards formally asked the newly elected Labour leader, Andy Burnham, to form a new government.

Thus begins the era of the so-called ‘King of the North’, so named for the successes he achieved and the popularity he gained during his nearly ten years as mayor of Manchester. In his first speech as Prime Minister today, Burnham said he was “deeply aware” that he is the seventh British Prime Minister since 2016 and stated that he wanted to “show the world that Britain can regain stability”.

Speaking without a lectern or notes, in keeping with his less formal and more spontaneous image, the new Prime Minister said that his election represents ‘a turning point’ and promised a ‘new economic and political model’ with greater public control over resources and a reindustrialisation plan offering strong support for British businesses.

Addressing directly those who are ‘fed up with politics’, particularly in the ‘forgotten parts of the country’, Burnham promised a ten-year programme of progress and improvement, pledging to present a plan as early as tomorrow to reduce the cost of living and give people the chance to ‘catch their breath’.

Greater autonomy for cities and regions

In his off-the-cuff speech, Burnham merely touched upon the reforms he intends to introduce, but he did address the issues closest to his heart, such as his commitment to building social housing and his determination to reduce Westminster’s power by granting greater autonomy to cities and regions. “I want to restore hope,” he said, “invest in success rather than pay for failure” and champion a form of politics “based on the right values”.

After the words, there is great anticipation for action. It is expected that Burnham may announce the names of his most senior ministers – Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and the Treasury – as early as today. The choice, which has so far been kept secret despite the flurry of rumours, will give a clear indication of the new Prime Minister’s priorities; he has said that his government aims to reflect ‘all the different strands of the Labour Party’.

Later that evening came the surprise appointment of John Healey, the former Defence Secretary who had resigned from Keir Starmer’s government amid controversy over the alleged lack of resources allocated by the former Prime Minister to military spending, was appointed to the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister for the Economy.

Ed Miliband, meanwhile, has been appointed Foreign Secretary, taking over from Yvette Cooper.

Meanwhile, Shabana Mahmood has been confirmed as Home Secretary: having joined Downing Street alongside Miliband, she will retain responsibility for internal security matters. The new cabinet also includes Louise Haigh, who had left the government in 2024: she has been appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Burnham is a political veteran: he joined the Labour Party at the age of 15, was elected as an MP in 2001, and held senior posts in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before leaving Westminster to return to his roots in the north of England.

Elected as the first mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017 following the reform of regional government, Burnham was subsequently re-elected twice with a larger majority and, when he stepped down, had an approval rating of 65 per cent, according to the polls.

In order to be in with a chance of succeeding Starmer, he had to stand as a candidate in the Makerfield constituency, near Manchester, and was elected as an MP with 55 per cent of the vote.

Starmer’s farewell

Starmer left Downing Street with great dignity, saying he felt at peace and proud of what he had achieved. “My work is done,” he said in a brief farewell speech, recalling that during his six and a half years at the helm of the party he had revitalised a Labour Party in crisis, leading it back to electoral victory in 2024, and had strengthened the economy and public services. The outgoing Prime Minister advised his successor “not to succumb to divisions” but to keep the party and the country united, and assured him of his “full support”.

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