Andy Burnham becomes prime minister and appoints new cabinet

Andy Burnham became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in July 2026, after Sir Keir Starmer resigned from the role. Burnham, who was previously Mayor of Manchester, is the seventh prime minister in just over ten years.

He quickly began choosing his new cabinet. John Healey was named Chancellor, which surprised many people, as Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood had both been expected to get the job. Miliband became Foreign Secretary instead, and Mahmood stayed on as Home Secretary. Louise Haigh, who had left government in 2024, returned as Cabinet Office Minister.

Senior ministers Rachel Reeves and David Lammy both left government. Burnham removed several ministers who were close to Starmer and replaced them with people who had supported his own rise to power.