The Current Government

Andy Burnham became the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade on 20 July 2026, following Keir Starmer's resignation as PM and Labour leader on 22 June 2026 after heavy Labour losses at the May 2026 local elections. Burnham — at the time Mayor of Greater Manchester — had publicly launched his “Manchesterism” pitch on 17 May 2026 and returned to Parliament via the Makerfield by-election in June 2026. He was acclaimed as Labour's 20th leader unopposed at a special conference on 17 July 2026, backed by 379 of 403 Labour MPs (94% of the PLP) and all 11 affiliated trade unions — the only candidate to secure enough nominations.

In his first speech from Downing Street, delivered without notes, Burnham framed the government as a “circuit breaker for Britain” and pledged “the biggest changes in the last forty years — a new political model and a new economic model,” naming ending rough sleeping as his first instruction as PM. His first cabinet retained some Starmer-era ministers (Shabana Mahmood at the Home Office, Pat McFadden at Work & Pensions) alongside new appointments, including John Healey as Chancellor and Louise Haigh as First Secretary.