Andy Burnham, ‘King of the north’, becomes UK’s 7th prime minister in a decade

1 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 20, 2026 04:59 PM IST

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and dubbed ‘the King of the ‌North’, has become the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, the seventh British PM in a decade. Keir Starmer formally resigned on Monday after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

Burnham is officially the 59th prime minister of the UK. He has been invited by King Charles to form a government in a private meeting at Buckingham Palace.

andy burnham uk pm Britain’s King Charles III welcomes Andy Burnham, left, during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government. (AP)

In a statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed Burnham’s appointment, saying “His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.”

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