Andy Burnham becomes new British prime minister, Keir Starmer leaves

LONDON — Over to you, Andy Burnham.

The man dubbed the “King of the North” will become the new British prime minister Monday, the latest in a revolving door of leaders who will attempt to halt a decade of political turbulence and economic stagnation.

Burnham, 56, will be appointed unchallenged after incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to step down last month following a series of election defeats, U-turns and scandals.

Both Starmer and Burnham come from the same center-left Labour Party, and in the United Kingdom ruling parties can change leaders — and therefore the prime minister — in the middle of an election cycle without anyone voting.

That said, Burnham has promised radical change when he takes office after a morning of royal formality, though he already faces infighting over his cabinet selections.

The incoming leader has a heaving inbox: how to solve Britain’s cost-of-living crisis, revive its ailing National Health Service and navigate bitter debates over immigration and Europe. He must also fend off the challenge from Reform UK, the hard-right party led by Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage, which tops the polls.

Burnham has promised “to pass power from the authorities to ordinary people” and “to build a new politics — the country is crying out for it,” he said in a speech Friday. “Let’s have the courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected,” he added, vowing to reverse the “wrong turns” that Britain began to take in the 1980s when “political power was centralized, and economic power was privatized.”

First on Monday, he will be focused on the pageantry of a now familiar political handover (Burnham being Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, and fifth in four years).

He has already replaced Starmer as leader of the Labour Party. Now Starmer is expected to give a farewell speech outside his official residence of No.10 Downing St.

These can be emotional, as was the case with Theresa May’s tearful goodbye in 2019.

Starmer will then be driven to Buckingham Palace where he will offer his resignation to King Charles III. After he leaves Burnham will arrive at the palace, and the king will ask him to form a government. This ceremony is known as “kissing hands,” though new leaders aren’t actually expected to do that these days.

Burnham will then go back to Downing St. where he is expected to make a landmark speech laying out his vision for the country.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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