Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester and MP for Macclesfield, has been elected leader of the Labour Party and is set to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister. Burnham secured the backing of 379 Labour MPs in Friday’s leadership vote. He is expected to take office as prime minister on Monday. In his first speech after being confirmed as Labour leader, Burnham said: “I am ready to lead the party and to build on the foundations laid by Keir Starmer.” He praised Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, saying Labour had gone from its “worst electoral defeat” to its “greatest election victory” under his stewardship. Labour returned to power in the 2024 general election after 14 years in opposition under Starmer’s leadership. However, Starmer resigned as party leader and prime minister about a month ago. Burnham previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester and entered Parliament last month after winning the Macclesfield by-election. Starmer’s departure makes him the sixth British prime minister to resign in the past decade.
