Andy Burnham has officially been elected leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party, paving the way for him to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister on Monday.
Burnham was confirmed as Labour leader on Friday after running unopposed to replace outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He secured the backing of 379 of Labour’s 403 MPs in the House of Commons.
Starmer is expected to formally resign on Monday, after which King Charles III will invite Burnham to form a new government.
“We’re going to give them hope back,” Burnham said in his first speech as Labour leader. “This is a proud and emotional moment, and one for which I am ready.”
Under Britain’s parliamentary system, a governing party can replace its leader—and therefore the prime minister—without holding a general election. The next U.K. general election is not required until 2029.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester inherits a government facing mounting economic and political challenges, including sluggish growth, rising living costs and strained public services.
In his first address, Burnham pledged to rebuild trust in politics by focusing on economic renewal, expanding public control over key sectors and creating modern industrial jobs. He argued that Britain has suffered decades of economic centralization and privatization, saying political and economic power has steadily moved away from local communities.
Burnham succeeds Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation after two years in office amid declining public support, poor local election results and growing pressure from within the Labour Party. Labour has also fallen behind the anti-immigration Reform UK party in recent opinion polls.
Burnham will become Britain’s seventh prime minister since 2016, continuing a period of frequent leadership changes in U.K. politics.
