Andy Burnham became Britain’s new prime minister Monday, promising a “new political model” after a decade of leadership turmoil and pledging to shift power away from London. Burnham replaces the outgoing Keir Starmer, who resigned after a political crisis precipitated by the revelation that Peter Mandelson, whom he appointed to serve as ambassador to the U.S., leaked sensitive government information to the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
In his speech outlining his plans for his incoming government, the former mayor of Greater Manchester called his accession a “circuit-breaker for Britain” and said that he would work to alleviate public frustration with politics. Burnham announced that his administration would pursue “the biggest changes in the last 40 years” by strengthening public control of essential services, reindustrializing Britain, and devolving power from Whitehall to more local government units. He promised immediate measures to reduce the cost-of-living by Tuesday and a 10-year national plan later this year.
Burnham became the leader of the Labour party unopposed Friday and is Britain’s seventh prime minister since 2016.
