Andy Burnham has announced his final cohort of Cabinet ministers.
Stephen Kinnock is the new Secretary of State for Wales, while Sir Chris Bryant MP is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Downing Street said.
Ellie Reeves is the new Attorney General, and she will attend Cabinet. Emma Reynolds is the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She will attend Cabinet.
Kanishka Narayan will be a minister of state across the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He will attend Cabinet.
Hamish Falconer is a minister across both the Cabinet Office and Foreign Office. He will attend Cabinet.
Heidi Alexander remains as Transport Secretary and Douglas Alexander remains as Scotland Secretary.
Sir Alan Campbell MP will remain as Leader of the House of Commons. Baroness Smith of Basildon remains as Leader of the House of Lords.
Matthew Pennycook MP will remain as a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. He will attend Cabinet.
A summary of today's developments
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John Healey has been named chancellor in Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet appointment. Healey resigned as defence secretary last month in protest at Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan.
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Yvette Cooper has been appointed health secretary while Shabana Mahmood keeps her job as home secretary.
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Ed Miliband has been named foreign secretary while Wes Streeting has been appointed defence secretary.
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Angela Rayner said she is “delighted” to be reappointed housing secretary, adding on X: “Andy Burnham’s vision of good growth in every postcode demands we build on the foundations we have already laid to bring the change we have promised.”
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Louise Haigh has been named as Andy Burnham’s first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
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Alex Norris is the new justice secretary and Dame Angela Eagle is the new environment secretary, Downing Street said. Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed the energy secretary.
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Pat McFadden will remain in his role as work and pensions secretary and Lisa Nandy will remain as culture secretary.
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The ministers to lose their jobs included Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Darren Jones, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle, Richard Hermer, Liz Kendall, Jo Stevens and Hilary Benn.
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In his first speech outside Downing Street after being named prime minster, Andy Burnham said his first instruction will be to end rough sleeping. He said later this year, he will bring forward a new plan for Britain, “a 10-year plan”.
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In his final speech as PM, Keir Starmer said he’s leaving No 10 with “good grace” and a “smile”. He finished by saying Andy Burnham had his “full support”.
Responding to the announcement that Alex Norris has been appointed as justice secretary, Katie Kempen, CEO of charity Victim Support, said: “With millions of victims and survivors paying the price for a broken criminal justice system, the new Justice Secretary inherits a formidable challenge from day one.
“Strengthening support for victims and delivering their rights must be Alex Norris’s top priority. Shamefully, victims continue to routinely miss out on their basic rights while legislation designed to enforce them is gathering dust. The MoJ must act now to rectify this.
“Meanwhile, the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve how victims’ services are funded and delivered. The Justice Secretary must grasp this chance to ensure every victim can access independent, specialist support, wherever they live.”
Alex Norris is the new justice secretary and Dame Angela Eagle is the new environment secretary, Downing Street said.
Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed the energy secretary.
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Wes Streeting has been appointed defence secretary.
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Angela Rayner said she is “delighted” to be reappointed housing secretary, adding on X: “Andy Burnham’s vision of good growth in every postcode demands we build on the foundations we have already laid to bring the change we have promised.”
Charity Shelter has given its reaction to the appointment of Angela Rayner as housing secretary.
Sarah Elliott, its chief executive, said: “The Prime Minister has given Angela Rayner a clear mandate to roll out a council housing revolution and put an end to rough sleeping – now it’s her time to deliver.
“Having grown up in social housing, Rayner knows better than anyone that an affordable, decent home is the foundation for everything, giving people the building blocks they need to get on in life and setting children up to thrive.
“The new Secretary of State has a strong track record advocating for social housing - in choosing her the Prime Minister again shows he is serious about tackling the housing emergency. With child homelessness at a record high, Rayner must now pull every lever to get councils building again and deliver a new generation of social rent homes.”
Health minister Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, has entered Downing Street.
Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander has also walked into a busy No 10.
Lisa Nandy will remain as the culture secretary, Downing Street said.
Nandy told reporters she was “very” happy with her job as she left Downing Street smiling on Monday evening.
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Prime minister Andy Burnham has spoken to French president Emmanuel Macron.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister began by setting out how he is looking forward to building on the strong UK-France relationship to deliver for people on both sides of the Channel.
“Turning to Ukraine, the two leaders discussed the need to work together to continue supporting Ukraine as it resists Russia’s full-scale invasion, including through co-chairing the Coalition of the Willing.
“On the Middle East, the two leaders agreed the need to continue efforts towards deescalation and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“They also discussed continuing the UK and France’s close co-operation on energy and defence, and the Prime Minister paid tribute to President Macron for his efforts to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, which underlined the UK and France’s enduring friendship.
“The two leaders look forward to speaking again and the Prime Minister welcoming President Macron to the United Kingdom at the earliest opportunity.”
On Politics Weekly, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at how Andy Burnham will try to do things differently and who will be helping him in the cabinet.
Several other ministers and government figures have entered Downing Street in the past hour, including trade minister Chris Bryant, leader of the House of Lords Angela Smith, solicitor general Ellie Reeves, environment secretary Emma Reynolds and housing minister Matthew Pennycook.
Bridget Phillipson, who has been replaced as education secretary by Lucy Powell, will remain a cabinet member as minister for women and equalities.
Rayner back as housing secretary
Angela Rayner has been reappointed as the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government. She quit the role and her position as deputy prime minister last September after a row over stamp duty.
Lucy Powell is the new education secretary, replacing her Labour deputy leadership rival Bridget Phillipson.
Jonathan Reynolds has moved from chief whip to business secretary, replacing Peter Kyle. Anneliese Midgley is the new chief whip.
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Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, has entered 10 Downing Street. Streeting had been seen as a potential leadership candidate but backed Burnham.
He is joined by the Home Office ministers Angela Eagle and Alex Norris, the former housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh and the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander.
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The new chancellor John Healey said the government led by Andy Burnham “will meet our commitments on defence to our international allies”.
He was asked by broadcasters on Monday night if he would meet a commitment to spend 3% of national economic output on defence by 2030.
Healey expressed frustration that Sir Keir Starmer had not set out a clear timetable for the commitment when he resigned last month as defence secretary.
Asked if welfare cuts or new taxes were on the cards to meet the goal, Healey said: “Fiscal control is the first duty of any chancellor. It is mine. And fiscal credibility is the bedrock for economic stability and for national security.
“You heard the Prime Minister this afternoon say, in this more dangerous world, we will meet our commitments on defence to our international allies.”
Andy Burnham has said his arrival in power will “bring back hope” to Britain as he launched his premiership with the surprise appointment of John Healey as chancellor and a promise to repair the damage caused to communities during the Thatcher era.
The new UK prime minister acknowledged people were “fed up” with politics as he addressed the country after taking over from Keir Starmer in Downing Street, saying the government needed to “do better” to deliver real change.
In his speech outside No 10, he said the government would announce “some breathing space” on Tuesday for people on the cost of living, with plans to cut energy bills and bus fares expected as part of a fully funded package.
Burnham later told reporters that he would look at “any flexibility” within the government’s existing fiscal rules to help borrow billions more to invest in infrastructure – but would take a “very prudent” approach to the economy.
UK 10-year gilt prices dropped after his comments, with the markets already on the edge over the risks of higher borrowing and increased debt. But they had closed by the time that Healey, regarded as a safe pair of hands, was announced.
The former defence secretary, whose resignation pushed Starmer to the brink, emerged as the compromise candidate after Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood were tipped for the role. Miliband takes over as foreign secretary while Mahmood remains at the Home Office.
Yvette Cooper said it was a real honour to be appointed Health Secretary by Andy Burnham “27 years after I worked on the first NHS cancer plan as a junior health minister”.
In a statement shared on social media, the former foreign secretary added: “I’m looking forward to working urgently to improve maternity services, to take forward plans for social care, and to once again play a part in supporting our National Health Service, Labour’s proudest achievement.
“Most of all I’m looking forward to working with the dedicated NHS staff, carers, healthcare professionals and volunteers on whom we all depend.
“In leaving the FCDO, let me pay tribute to the brilliant diplomats and ministers I worked with at the Foreign Office, and to my fellow foreign ministers from across the world – for all the work we did together to support Ukraine, to recognise the State of Palestine, to keep the spotlight on Sudan and to treat violence against women and girls as the global crisis it is. The partnerships we build abroad make us stronger at home.”
Ed Miliband said the Foreign Office will be “at the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain and across the world” under his stewardship.
In a statement shared on social media, he said: “It is a great honour and privilege to have been appointed by the Prime Minister to serve as Foreign Secretary.
“My parents came to Britain as Jewish refugees from the Nazis. To them, Britain was both a sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the global fight against fascism. I will carry my parents’ faith in that spirit of Britain to my role representing our country.
“I will be a Foreign Secretary who fights for Britain’s interests and our values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law on the world stage.”
He promised to maintain close ties with both the EU and the United States, as well as upholding Britain’s commitments to Nato and the United Nations. Miliband added: “The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) I lead will also be at the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain and across the world.
“We will work with others on tackling the climate crisis, strengthening our partnerships for international development, and reforming our international institutions so they deliver for all countries, including the world’s poorest people.”
Reacting to the news, Jean McLean, chief influencing officer at charity Oxfam GB, said: “Ed Miliband takes on the role of Foreign Secretary at a defining moment for Britain and the world. Across the globe, crises are deepening. From the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Sudan, communities are facing infectious disease, conflict, hunger and climate shocks, with millions trapped in prolonged emergencies that rarely make the headlines but continue to destroy lives.
“These crises are not inevitable. They are often the result of political choices and a failure of leadership.
“Last week’s announcement of cuts of up to 90% to UK aid in parts of Africa risks taking a wrecking ball to Britain’s global leadership. It will not make the UK safer, and it will not reduce inequality at home or abroad. You don’t build security by walking away from insecurity.
“This is a real moment to be better. Restoring the aid budget to 0.7% of GNI must be central to rebuilding Britain’s global leadership”.
Yvette Cooper appointed health secretary
Yvette Cooper has been appointed health secretary.
Meanwhile, Pat McFadden will remain in his role as work and pensions secretary.
Cooper, the former foreign secretary, left Downing Street a few minutes ago with McFadden.
Ed Miliband was earlier named foreign secretary.
That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose, on this whirlwind of a day in Westminster. There are still a number of appointments to be made this evening, so stay with the blog as my colleague Nadeem Badshah sees you through.
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Yvette Cooper and Pat McFadden have left Downing Street.
McFadden, who has been work and pensions secretary under Keir Starmer, had been seen walking into No 10 with Cooper shortly before 7pm.
Burnham’s first Labour cabinet: who’s in and who’s out?
Andy Burnham has appointed his first cabinet, with the new prime minister rewarding those who have been loyal to his takeover efforts.
He had promised to pick his top team from all wings of the party in an effort to show he is trying to run a more inclusive administration.
But at the same time, his decision to have a brutal clearout of Starmer allies resulted in many considered to be on the right of the party or close to the former prime minister losing their jobs.
These are the key announcements so far:
In goes education secretary Bridget Phillipson and Burnham ally Lucy Powell.
There really are quite a few inside No 10 at the moment. It feels inevitable that a slew of appointments are going to be announced at the same time shortly.
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Anneliese Midgley, the MP who emerged as one of Burnham’s closest allies during the Makerfield by-election campagin, has just gone into No 10.
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Shabana Mahmood said the post of home secretary is “the best job in the business”, after Andy Burnham kept her in the role.
In a post on X, Mahmood said she would continue with immigration reform.
She said: “It is an honour to remain as Home Secretary in Andy Burnham’s cabinet.
“I may be biased, but it’s the best job in the business.
“We have begun the work of major reform, to make our streets safer and our immigration system fair for all. Now let’s finish the job.”
New chancellor John Healey said it is the “greatest privilege” to take on the role.
In a statement posted on X, he said: “It is the greatest privilege to be appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by the Prime Minister.
“Together, we will build a new economy, build new hope and advance the working people of this country.
“Time to get on with the job.”
Chief whip Jonathan Reynolds is the latest to enter No 10 to meet with Burnham and his team.
He has been mooted in the press for a move back to business secretary – a role he was reportedly loth to give up in the first place.
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Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has gone into No 10.
She has widely been expected to make a comeback in a big cabinet role.
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The secretary of state for culture, media and sport Lisa Nandy has just entered No 10.
There have been rumours she could be moved to the housing brief.
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Louise Haigh appointed first secretary of state
As expected, Louise Haigh has been named as Andy Burnham’s first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
Haigh left her post as transport secretary under Keir Starmer in 2024 and has been planning Burnham’s ascent to power since last year.
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The former foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has also entered No 10 – shortly before Ed Miliband was appointed to that role.
More on her future as we get it.
Shabana Mahmood to continue as home secretary
Shabana Mahmood will remain in her role as home secretary, it has been confirmed.
Ed Miliband named foreign secretary
Ed Miliband has been named foreign secretary in Andy Burnham’s cabinet.
Pat McFadden, the secretary of state for work and pensions, has just gone into No 10.
He is very much seen as close to former prime minister to Keir Starmer, so his inclusion in Burnham’s cabinet further reinforces the new prime minister’s pledge to bring in all factions of the Labour party.
The departure of Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, will be a blow to EU counterparts who were hoping he would remain in post in Andy Burnham’s new cabinet.
Only last week the outgoing EU ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano heaped praise upon him for helping to heal the tattered pre-Brexit relationship with the EU.
But some EU diplomats complained that Keir Starmer’s bid to “reset” that relationship had lost momentum with no deal in site for youth mobility in particular, in a row over tuition fees for EU citizens.
However, UK sources were frustrated with the EU’s insistence on home fees for EU citizens wishing to study in the UK, expressing concern they did not understand the financial pressure that would pose for some cash-strapped British universities.
The Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar is reporting that Louise Haigh, a key Burnham ally who is currently inside No 10, is set to be appointed the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
On X, she wrote:
I’m hearing that Louise Haigh, Andy Burnham’s right hand woman, will be Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, running a beefed up cabinet office that will be the “political engine room” driving the PM’s agenda.
She will *also* be first secretary of state, a role held in previous govt by George Osborne, William Hague & Pater Mandelson.
The last & only woman to hold the role was Barbara Castle, who Haigh has said in the past is her political hero.
Nick Thomas-Symonds is out as paymaster general and Cabinet Office minister, saying he is returning to the backbenches.
In a letter to prime minister Andy Burnham, he said: “I will support the new team of ministers from the backbenches and continue to serve the people of my home constituency of Torfaen, who, as always, remain my top priority.”
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John Healey named chancellor
John Healey has been named chancellor in Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet appointment.
Healey resigned as defence secretary last month, in protest at Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan.
Our political editor Pippa Crerar writes:
Burnham’s team were clear they want an experienced figure to deliver his vision for UK economy - combining fiscal responsibility with focus on re-industrialisation, devolution, cost of living crisis and driving growth.
Healey quit cabinet last month accusing Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves of putting the UK’s security at risk, saying defence investment plan fell well short.
He will now be responsible for finding the money to raise military spending to 3% by 2030. Could he opt for defence bonds to do so - which he argued for from MoD - even though it was dismissed as extra borrowing.
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Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Andy Burnham’s assurance that the UK’s support for Ukraine would remain strong.
After speaking with the new PM, the Ukrainian president wrote on X: “I was happy to speak with Andy Burnham and congratulate him on taking office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
“I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast. Thank you for your warm words of respect for the Ukrainian people and for your condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in Russia’s recent attacks.
“Ukraine and the United Kingdom have built the strongest partnership in the history of relations between our two countries, and we will certainly continue working to expand it even further.
“We agreed to discuss our future cooperation, including our work within the Anti-Ballistic Coalition, during a meeting in the near future. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Britain!”
Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn has announced he is leaving the role.
In a statement on X, Benn said: “It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to work with the many wonderful people I have met over the last 2 years.
“I wish my successor all the very best in working with the Executive to protect stability, continuing to generate growth and investment and in taking forward the Troubles Bill which is so important for so many families.
“The Prime Minister will have my full support from the backbenches.”
Foreign Office minister Baroness Jenny Chapman of Darlington said she is leaving the government, as she said cutting the aid budget had been “challenging” and required “much soul searching”.
Chapman said: “It’s been a great honour to serve as international development minister, and in Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
“I’m disappointed to be leaving but wish the Prime Minister and his new team every success.
“Cutting the aid budget has been challenging and has required much soul searching, but I passionately believe thanks to the work we’ve done, we’re spending the money better than ever before.
“We have a modern strategy and approach, working in partnership with developing countries rather than in a paternalistic way, and keeping strong commitments on global health and humanitarian aid.”
She added: “The UK is once again a force for good internationally.”
Andy Burnham told US president Donald Trump this afternoon he hoped to show him what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister began by congratulating the President on a successful World Cup and agreed that England had an excellent tournament.
“The Prime Minister also hoped that he would be able to show the President what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future.
“Setting out his vision as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister said he would be focused on ensuring reindustrialisation up and down the country to ensure good growth in every postcode.
“The Prime Minister also underlined his commitment to defence and security and said ensuring the security of the UK and its Allies was at the top of his agenda.
“The President then updated on the situation in the Middle East, and the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country.”
The UK government’s borrowing costs are edging higher on financial markets as investors react to Andy Burnham’s cabinet reshuffle and early hints over his tax and spending plans.
After Rachel Reeves announced her resignation as chancellor as the new prime minister puts together his government team, the yield – in effect the interest rate – on 10-year UK debt rose by about 0.08 percentage points to trade above 5%.
The pound also fell against the US dollar and the euro, on a volatile day in global markets amid escalating tensions in the Iran war.
As the Middle East conflict intensifies, investors point out that yields are rising everywhere. However, the UK is seeing a bigger increase, with investors on high alert for any clues over Burnham’s plan for power.
Burnham telling reporters in the Downing Street garden that he could consider utilising “flexibility” in the fiscal rules to bolster public investment are being read by some investors he could ramp up borrowing. The new PM also hinted he could consider raising the tax-free personal allowance – a change that would have big fiscal costs.
“I’ve said we’ll stick to the fiscal rules, and by that I mean the existing fiscal rules, and use obviously any flexibility within them,” Burnham told reporters.
Retaining the self-imposed borrowing and debt constraints drawn up by Reeves has been seen as key to avoiding a backlash in markets. However, with spending pressures looming, Burnham’s appointment for chancellor could be forced to consider tax increases or other measures to help finance the new prime minister’s agenda for the economy.
It is worth pointing out the moves in financial markets remain relatively small compared to other big volatile days. After Liz Truss’s mini budget in September 2022, long-dated UK government bond yields rose by more in four days than the annual increase in 23 of the past 27 years.
Things could also change quickly. Reeves – who was a reassuring presence for City investors – may have gone, but Burnham’s new pick as chancellor has yet to be announced. There are also no firm policy announcements to pore over, which will be of significantly more importance than any offhand comments to reporters.
Still, bond markets are finely poised and will begin moving before firm details materialise. Many investors are also expecting Burnham to run a looser approach to the public finances than Starmer and Reeves.
Shabana Mahmood and Ed Miliband are walking along Downing Street and enter No 10 together.
The past few weeks have been rife with speculation that one or the other will become chancellor.
The wait to find out which will be appointed chancellor goes on. But reporting in recent days appear to suggest Mahmood to the Treasury, with Miliband for the Foreign Office.
Right, I’m going to take a short break but my colleague Nadeem Badshah will be keeping you abreast of developments over the next hour or so.
Updated
Starmer ally Darren Jones sacked from Burnham's cabinet
Darren Jones, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has confirmed he too is out of Andy Burnham’s cabinet.
Another close Starmer ally, Jones wrote on X:
From the campaign trail and the TV studios to the Treasury, No10 and the Cabinet Office - it’s been a privilege to be in the cabinet of a Labour government and to serve the country.
Andy Burnham has called to tell me I won’t be a part of his new cabinet. I wish him and his team every success.
John Healey, the former defence secretary, is making his way up Downing Street and enters No 10.
The media ask him what job he’s in line for. He does not answer.
Let’s see what happens…
Wales secretary Jo Stevens sacked from cabinet
Jo Stevens, the Wales secretary, has confirmed her departure from government.
In a statement on X, she wrote:
I wish the new Prime Minister and my successor the very best in their new roles and know that they will do a great job, alongside our new Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates, in delivering for the people of Wales.
Her sacking marks the seventh secretary of state to leave the cabinet.
She added: “Wales has seen the biggest budget settlement for our public services in the history of devolution, our steel industry saved and transformed for the future, the largest public investment in Wales in history through new nuclear at Wylfa, a generational commitment of £14 billion for our Welsh railways, the best local growth fund settlement of any of the UK nations and so much more.”
Updated
Government borrowing costs lifted higher and the value of the pound weakened after Andy Burnham became prime minister this afternooon.
The yield on 10-year government bonds, called gilts, moved eight basis points higher to 5.049% at the end of London trading, PA reported.
They had been largely steady after the new prime minister took over the role but lifted after he told reporters he would use “any flexibility” he could find within the existing fiscal rules.
The value of gilts decrease as the yield on them increases.
Meanwhile, the value of the pound slipped by 0.29% to 1.341 against the US dollar, having been positive throughout most of the day’s trading.
The FTSE 100 finished 0.71% lower at 10,524.76 points at the close.
Trump expected to meet Burnham in Manchester for G20 summit in 2027 - report
Andy Burnham is expected to host US president Donald Trump in Manchester next year for the G20, according to The Times’ Washington editor.
It is understood that the choice of the north-west city as the location of the summit will have already been confirmed by the outgoing Keir Starmer.
Katy Balls wrote on X:
Donald Trump expected to meet Andy Burnham in his beloved Manchester next year for the G20.
Understand the new prime minister’s invitation by phone for the US president to visit referenced the 2027 summit which @thetimes can reveal is expected to take place in Manchester.
It is especially interesting given that president Trump recently dismissed Manchester, the UK’s third-largest city, as a “town” when asked about Burnham’s imminent appointment.
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Liz Kendall out as science and technology secretary
Liz Kendall, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, has departed government as Andy Burnham continues his cabinet reshuffle.
In a post on X, she said she wishes her successor “the very best for the future” and that she believes Burnham will “take the country from strength-to-strength”.
She wrote: “At both the Department of Work and Pensions and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology I have had the chance to change lives for the better, delivering greater equality and expanding opportunity to build a better future for all.”
She said she had been “proud to stand up to Elon Musk and Grok, ban nudification apps and help make the online world safer for women and girls”.
Kendall references artificial intelligence (AI) in her letter and it has been reported that there may well be a minister for AI within Burnham’s cabinet.
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Burnham confirms he is looking at cutting energy bills and bus fares
After his speech, Andy Burnham told reporters gathered in the Downing Street garden he was looking at cutting energy bills and bus fares as part of a fully funded cost-of-living support package which could eventually include more radical plans such as freezing private sector rents.
“We are looking at measures that could make a difference this year… We just want to do some things that people will feel and feel quite quickly,” he said.
“It won’t solve everything, it won’t take all of the pressure off, but it just shows the direction of travel and that we’re serious about helping them out.”
Burnham added that he would look at “any flexibility” within the government’s existing fiscal rules to help borrow billions more to invest in infrastructure – but insisted that he would take a “very prudent” approach to the economy.
“I’ve said we’ll stick to the fiscal rules and by that I mean the existing fiscal rules and use obviously any flexibility within them. But we will stick to the existing rules,” he said.
“So none of this is about taking risks with the economy. I’ve never done that in any role that I’ve had. I’ve always taken a very prudent approach.”
Burnham also suggested that he could cut income tax for lower earners in the budget. This could involve raising the tax-free personal allowance, which has been frozen for the last five years and is currently set at £12,570 a year.
But the new prime minister refused to rule out bringing back the 50p top rate of tax – introduced by Gordon Brown’s government in 2010 – saying it was “premature” to make such decisions when he had just arrived at No 10.
”All of this will be looked at though at the budget, and obviously it’s difficult given the financial circumstances in which we find ourselves. But I wanted to recognise the point because it’s challenging for people and it’s people on the lowest incomes perhaps who’ve most been affected by that,” he said.
“So it’s an issue that I’m just kind of showing I have a visibility of the issue and the impact it’s had on the different groups that I’ve mentioned, but it’s difficult because changing the threshold is not without significant consequences. But I’m looking at it.”
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Lord Hermer departs as attorney-general
Keir Starmer’s attorney-general Richard Hermer has confirmed he is leaving the Cabinet, saying he will support Andy Burnham’s Labour government from the backbenches.
It is a departure that will come as no surprise, given Hermer’s closeness to the former prime minister.
He said in a post on BlueSky that it has been “the privilege of my life” to serve in the post for the last two years, adding he was especially proud of the Hillsborough Law and rebuilding the UK’s reputation abroad.
“I will continue to support this Labour government from the backbenches, as it delivers the change this country desperately needs.
“Andy and his team know they have my utmost support, and I wish them nothing but success.”
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves leaves government
Rachel Reeves has put out a statement on X, confirming that she has not just been sacked as chancellor but is leaving government altogether.
It has been speculated Reeves could have been demoted to a lesser role in cabinet. But Sky News is reporting she declined another role.
The first ever female chancellor wrote on social media:
It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour Government over the past two years.
Stability restored, investment delivered and reform to our economy under way. I said when I was appointed Chancellor that I would judge my time in office if the lives ordinary working class people have been improved.
I’m proud to say that they have. And to every young woman and girl let my time in office show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams. I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet.
You have my full support, and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.
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Peter Kyle out as business secretary
Peter Kyle has been sacked as business secretary, Sky News is reporting.
Chief whip Jonathan Reynolds, a former business secretary moved by Starmer, has been linked with a return to the role.
Watch this space.
Deputy prime minister and justice secretary David Lammy sacked
David Lammy has announced he is also leaving government, having been the deputy prime minister since September 2025.
He too posted details of his departure on social media.
Writing on X, Lammy – who also served as justice secretary - said:
It has been the greatest privilege of my life, coming from humble beginnings in Tottenham, to serve in government as @Keir_Starmer’s Foreign Secretary, Justice Secretary and Britain’s first Black Deputy Prime Minister.
I am immensely proud of what we achieved, in Opposition and in Government.
He added:
I would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet. But a new Prime Minister is entitled to build his own team, and I wish @AndyBurnham and the new Cabinet every success.
I will continue to serve the great people of Tottenham, support this Labour government from the backbenches and do everything I can to help defeat Reform again at the next general election.
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Steve Reed out as housing secretary
Steve Reed, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, has left government.
The Starmer ally has posted a letter to new prime minister Andy Burnham on X. It reads essentially as a resignation letter but it is pretty clear Burnham has his own people to install in cabinet.
He told Burnham in the letter that he will do “everything in my power to ensure you succeed”.
Updated
Burnham making 'pledges without any plan for delivery', say Tories
The Conservatives said Andy Burnham was making “pledges without any plan for delivery” after he said his first policy as prime minister would be to end long-term rough sleeping across the UK.
Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly said:
In his speech in Downing Street, Burnham promised he would ‘go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country’.
But there is precious little detail on how this will be paid for. Burnham must come clean on what other MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) programmes have been salami-sliced to fill the gap.
In Manchester, Burnham promised to end rough sleeping, but failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary. Now, again, he is making pledges without any plan for delivery.
If he is really serious about government, he should lay out proposals cut welfare, fund defence and get Britain working again.
Andy Burnham is the first prime minister of Catholic faith to take office in modern times.
Boris Johnson was baptised a Catholic but converted to the Church of England while a young teenager, while Tony Blair converted to Catholicism after he left office.
Archbishop Richard Moth, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has offered his congratulations to the new PM.
Moth said:
As president of the Bishops’ Conference, and on behalf of the Catholic community in our countries, I offer my warm congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming leader of the Labour party and now prime minister.
We are living in challenging times. As Christians we have a duty to be bridge-builders and peacemakers. Where there are tensions, hostility and injustice, we are called to respond with real concern and respect for the dignity of the person, for the needs of families, the marginalised, and the vulnerable.
The prime minister faces many challenging issues as he begins his work, and I assure him and his family of my continued prayers for the task ahead.
In a quick-fire interview in the Guardian in 2009, Burnham listed the three most important things in his life apart from family. “Everton FC, the Labour Party and the Catholic church - in that order. The reason I say that is, it all comes back to cultural identity,” he said.
He told how his dad was worried about meeting his mother’s family for the first time as religion was so important in Liverpool then. “My dad’s not Catholic but my mum is,” he said. “He was worried about meeting her family for the first time as religion was so important in Liverpool then.
“But Everton had been away at Blackburn that day and when he arrived to meet the Murray family they twigged he had been at the match and they had too, so it was all, ‘come in, Roy’...”.
Updated
Burnham speaks to president Trump - Sky News
And there we have it, Andy Burnham has just spoken to US president Donald Trump on the phone.
Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby is reporting that the leaders had a call this afternoon and it was Burnham’s first call as prime minister.
There is no readout of the conversation as yet but I’ll bring it to you as and when it becomes available.
Andy Burnham said he would tell Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy he will “be there for him” and the UK’s support would remain “resolute” under his premiership.
The new prime minister indicated that Zelenskyy would be one of the first foreign leaders he will speak to after replacing Keir Starmer in No 10. He also indicated he would have an early call with US president Donald Trump.
He told broadcasters:
Those will be my first calls, and I’ll be making very clear later today to president Zelenskyy that there is no change.
I will be with him 100% as Keir Starmer has been, and Keir has done really quite an incredible job in not just backing Ukraine but being there in a personal way. And I will be absolutely there for him in the same way.
I’ve worked with Ukrainian mayors over the last few years. I’ve built a network of support for Ukrainian mayors, I take all of that experience into my new role and president Zelenskyy will be left in no doubt whatsoever that Britain’s support is steadfast.
It is resolute. It will be there for him and I will be there for him personally too.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has questioned what new prime minister Andy Burnham “stands” for as he takes office.
Robinson pointed out Burnham will be the seventh prime minister during his time as an MP. He welcomed indications that the digital ID scheme will be scrapped and the suggestion of drilling in the North Sea, but said he wanted to see encouragement of conditions for growth.
“I think it’s clear across the country that people would like to see stability and leadership, and stability at the top, but I think many are asking the question today, ‘what does Andy Burnham stand for, what is his agenda for the United Kingdom’?” he told media in Belfast.
“We know that there are 402 Labour members of parliament and none of the 402 were suitable either to go forward as a potential prime minister or even to have a contest and battle of ideas.
“I don’t know what Manchesterism really means for the United Kingdom, and I don’t know what Burnhamism is either, so we will see.”
Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:
“We extend a warm welcome to Andy Burnham as he takes on the most important role in public life. This is a golden opportunity to restart the parliament, go for growth, and get it right on supporting small businesses.
“The new prime minister has set out a positive, pro-small business stall in recent weeks, and we are optimistic that he can galvanise the new government to make these plans a reality.
“That will mean reworking the mistakes on business rates made by the last government, by increasing small business rate relief, acting on costs after the sledgehammer of national insurance rises, and scrapping pointless paperwork that holds business back.
“Where the last government did get things unquestionably right – such as the new late payment laws currently going through the Lords – we need the new prime minister to stand firm behind small firms.”
The Green Party has called for Andy Burnham to impose rent controls, take the water industry into public ownership and introduce wealth taxes.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said:
We need action on sky high rents, with rent controls, we need to end the rip off and take water into actual public ownership, not tinkering with the existing failed model as is being suggested.
We need wealth taxes as a first step towards tackling gross inequality and getting serious investment into our economy and public services.
Six highlights from Andy Burnham’s first Downing Street speech
It clocked in at just over five minutes, and contained several themes and phrases familiar to Andy Burnham watchers.
And yet there was quite a lot to the new prime minister’s first speech in Downing Street.
My colleague Peter Walker has picked out some of the highlights for you here:
One of those who hugged Andy Burnham on the way in to No 10 was Sarah Taylor, one of his old constituents in Leigh.
Her then four-year old daughter was abducted by her partner and taken to Libya in 2007 and Burnham spent two years trying to get her back.
His efforts included flying to Tripoli and arranging a meeting between the then-prime minister Gordon Brown and Colonel Gaddafi.
Tim Heatley, chief executive of one of the biggest property developers in Greater Manchester, was also spotted in the crowd of supporters. He chairs the Greater Manchester mayor’s charity, which works to end rough sleeping.
It is that charity to which Burnham has been donating 15% of his salary since becoming mayor in 2017. He has said he will continue that tradition on his higher prime minister’s salary, splitting the money between homelessness charities and charities in his Makerfield constituency.
Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram said he was “unbelievably proud” after friend Andy Burnham’s first speech as prime minister.
Speaking as he left Downing Street with his family, Rotheram, who co-authored Burnham’s book Head North, said he had not held any discussions with the new premier regarding his No 10 North hub.
Rotheram told the Press Association:
He’s been like a little brother to me, it’s a brilliant moment.
He added:
There’s some great bits [of policy]. I think when you see what the plan is, then most people will go, ‘I see that. So that’s why you want to do it a different way’.
It’s taken the learning from being a metro mayor and then putting that into practice. That’s the idea.
Meanwhile, Everton Football Club has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming prime minister.
Posting on X, alongside a photo of Burnham and manager David Moyes from his previous stint in charge, the club said:
A Toffee at No.10.
Congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming the UK’s Prime Minister. A lifelong Evertonian, long-time Hillsborough Law campaigner, regular SFoodbanks donor and @EITC fundraiser.
Wishing you nothing but the best in your new role, @andyburnham.
And reader, I can personally vouch for Burnham’s devotion to the Toffees, having bumped into him in a Liverpool pub on an away day a few years ago. We chatted about the fortunes of both Everton and my club, Brentford, and fair play, he knew his stuff.
But if I remember correctly, Burnham predicted a home win that afternoon. Brentford won 3-2.
Scotland’s first minister John Swinney has congratulated Andy Burnham as he pushed for action on the cost of living.
In a statement released in the hours after Burnham took office, Swinney said the country “faces a number of serious challenges at this moment” and he looks forward to “constructive talks” with the prime minister.
“I congratulate Andy Burnham on his appointment as prime minister. This is a significant moment for the United Kingdom, and I commit to working constructively with him in order to improve the lives of people in Scotland,” he said.
“The UK faces a number of serious challenges at this moment, and Andy Burnham is correct when he says that Westminster is not working for the vast majority of people.
“Therefore, taking action on the cost of living must be an absolute priority for the new prime minister, and supporting people through sustained economic pressures will be key to restoring confidence and stability after a period of political turbulence.”
My colleague Alexandra Topping was in Downing Street earlier today:
A reminder of how brutal politics can be outside Downing Street this morning, as we witnessed the transfer of power from Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham.
Burnham took his time to greet supporters, there were hugs for everyone, before he stood in front of the microphones to set out - in the broadest terms - his political vision.
I managed to escape from the lobby press pen to find a (very small) spot next to the core group of photographers and found myself directly in front of Burnham.
Genuinely - it looked like he was enjoying himself.
John Bird, the crossbench peer and founder of the Big Issue, said he was “encouraged” by the new prime minister’s comments over ending rough sleeping.
In a statement, Lord Bird said:
Andy Burnham’s bold first pledge as prime minister is to end rough sleeping.
This is a prime minister with his priorities straight.
I’m also encouraged to hear his intention to build a more preventative state. This will be crucial if he truly wants to eradicate rough sleeping for good.
Within minutes of Andy Burnham entering No 10, the government has announced an additional £340m to tackle rough sleeping across Britain.
Burnham said in his address on the steps of Downing Street that his first instruction to staff would be to end rough sleeping but I’m not sure anyone expected to see detail on this quite so soon.
The £340m is described by the government as “new funding” from uncommitted budgets in the ministry of housing, communities and local government.
A government spokesperson says the fund is expected to support at least 3,000 people who are currently sleeping rough long-term, over a five-year period, and will include “beginning the acquisition of suitable homes”.
It is reminiscent of Burnham’s first term as Greater Manchester mayor, when virtually his first act in May 2017 was to contact the homelessness charity Crisis to help set up the donation of 15% of his salary.
His flagship promise was to end rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020 and he almost halved it. By last year, however, Britain’s housing crisis sent homelessness to record levels and the number of people on the city’s streets had crept back up. Last year the figure was nearly half that when Burnham took office.
Official figures show the number of people sleeping on the streets in England rose to a record 4,793 last summer, although that is believed to be an underestimate.
The think-tank IPPR North, whose director Zoë Billingham has been advising Burnham in recent weeks while on sabbatical, warned last week that homelessness levels would rise by 25% – an additional 50,000 people – within four years without radical action.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the latest leader to congratulate Andy Burnham on his appointment as the new British prime minister.
In a post on X, he said:
Congratulations to Andy Burnham @andyburnham on taking office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We wish the Prime Minister and the British people every success in addressing the challenges of today.
Britain has always been one of the global leaders. We are ready to work together in all possible formats. We highly appreciate the UK’s political, defense, and values-based support.
The foundation of our bilateral relationship is stronger than ever, and we will continue to make each other stronger. I’m looking forward to our conversation later today. Thank you!
The former prime minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv and met with Zelenskyy on Thursday.
He used his final foreign trip as premier to reassure Ukraine of Britain’s continued support, as Zelenskyy looks to forge a relationship with his fifth UK prime minister since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has given his first speech after accepting the king’s invitation to form a government.
In his speech, he pledged to bring in a 10-year plan for Britain as well as planning to end rough sleeping, “build a new economy” and address the cost of living crisis.
More congratulations are coming in from key European capitals.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni said the UK and Italy were “bound by a deep friendship and collaboration that over the years has grown only stronger.”
“I am certain that we will continue down this path, strengthening our strategic partnership in the interest of our nations and our citizens,” she says.
Dutch PM Rob Jetten stressed the UK is “an important partner for the Netherlands,” and the pair will “work closely in areas like trade, energy transition, defence and support for Ukraine.”
Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson struck a similar tone, as did Lithuania’s Gitanas Nausėda.
Several leaders also paid tribute to Keir Starmer, thanking him for their work together, including Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen.
Burnham's first speech as PM - snap verdict
That was a short speech, and in many respects it was just an edited highlights version of the much longer and more substantial speech that Andy Burnham gave on Friday when he was elected Labour leader. But it contained two striking features.
First, there was a policy announcement, and it was a quite a brave one; ending rough sleeping. (See 1.02pm.)
Why is it brave? Because Burnham set the same target as mayor of Greater Manchester, and he did not achieve it. In fact, as the Mill in Manchester reported recently, rough sleeping in the city has been going up for the past four years. Burnham visited a homelessness centre early this morning and recorded a pooled TV interview which has just been played on Sky News. Asked why he was promising to end rough sleeping nationally when he could not do that in his own city, Burnham (who gave 15% of his salary as mayor to a fund to tackle homelessness) said that in Manchester numbers started going up again, after falling at first, partly because of events out of his control. He went on:
We ran a scheme called a bed every night. And we funded it through various different ways.
But we’d be the only place that was doing it. You won’t be able to get the numbers down if you’re the only place and people [from other cities] are coming to Manchester.
So it taught me that the only way is to do this together. Everybody pulling in the same direction, as we did in the pandemic because we did bring people inside in the pandemic.
Many politicians, confronted with a policy failure, move on to something else; on this, Burnham is doubling down.
Burnham has also discovered his inner Jeremy Corbyn. After he stepped down as Labour leader, Corbyn revealed that if he had won the 2017 election, he too would have ordered an end to rough sleeping on day one. This is an announcement by Burnham that will cheer idealists, progressives and Labour leftwingers in particular. And this may be helpful if those same people end up learning later today Shabana Mahmood will be chancellor.
The second striking feature was the tone. Burnham has just become PM. But he started not by celebrating his success, but with an admission of failure – the failure of his generation of politicians. (See 12.53pm.) It was not a gloomy speech, but it was one with a strong streak of humility and realism. That is probably what the nation wants, or at least needs.
That is all from me for today. Tom Ambrose is taking over now.
And this is how Burnham ended his speech.
I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.
I will give this my all and I ask you all to pull with me.
Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity.
Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.
Thank you very much everybody.
Burnham says his first instruction as PM will be to end rough sleeping
Burnham talked about some of his ambitions.
We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support, and we will build more council homes.
That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down to meet our fiscal rules and to honour our commitments on defence to our international partners.
We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people’s success rather than paying for failure.
And then he made a specific announcement.
And that work starts now.
I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction – to end rough sleeping in our country.
It’s about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government.
Burnham says cost of living plans being announced tomorrow, and 10-year plan coming later this year
Burnham said he will announce cost of living proposals tomorrow.
Later this year I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.
But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living.
And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.
Burnham says his government will be 'circuit breaker', introducing 'biggest changes in 40 years'
Burnham says his government will function as “a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years”.
He goes on:
A new political model and a new economic model.
In the 1980s Britain took some wrong turns.
Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised and they still haven’t recovered.
Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around.
And that’s why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.
And we will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more and in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again.
Updated
Burnham says politicians 'need to be better', because UK has changed PMs too often in past decade
Finally, Burnham starts.
He says he has come from Buckingham Palace where we accepted the king’s invitation to form a government.
He says he is “acutely conscious” of the fact that he is the sixth person in a decade to be asked to form a government.
I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street – the seventh prime minister since 2016 – making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.
It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge.
Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge to make politics work, to make it work better. I know people at home are fed up with politics.
I hear you and I want to be honest with you – we have not been good enough and we need to be better.
Andy Burnham is trying to start his speech, but the applause goes on and on.
Burnham is shaking hands with supporters as he walks up Downing Street. One of the women there to meet him is his mum.
Andy Burnham is walking up Downing Street.
Andy Burnham’s guests – at least 100 of them – have gathered in Downing Street ahead of the new prime minister’s arrival, including some children, the Press Association reports. A smaller group arrived in the street from Number 11.
Among those attending is Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram, who was seen feeding a baby a bottle of milk.
Andy Burnham is on his way to Downing Street. It is a very short journey from Buckingham Palace.
Burnham starts receiving congratulations from European leaders
Jakub Krupa writes the Guardian’s Europe live blog.
European leaders are now congratulating Andy Burnham on his appointment as the new British prime minister, with a first invitation for a foreign trip - to Berlin - already in hix inbox.
European Council president António Costa said he was looking forward to “continuing our deepen cooperation for the benefit of our citizens and businesses” with the new British PM, as he praised “a new, positive momentum” in the UK’s relations with the EU in the last two years.
“The United Kingdom and the European Union are stronger together,” he said.
Ireland’s Micheál Martin similarly said he was hoping to work with Burnham on deepening the UK’s relations with Ireland and the EU. He said:
During his time as mayor of Great Manchester, Andy was a great champion of deeper links between Ireland and Britain. It has been a pleasure to meet him on several occasions, including during his visits to Ireland last year.
Meanwhile, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said “the UK and Germany are close allies and partners.” He said:
Our deep connection is particularly evident in these times. I would very much like to discuss the challenges ahead with you and therefore cordially invite you to visit Berlin soon.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, also joined in congratulations, saying she wanted to work with the new PM on “strengthening the EU-UK partnership for the security of our shared continent and the prosperity of people on both sides of the Channel.”
Updated
There is no lectern outside No 10 – but there is a microphone.
What that signals is that Andy Burnham will be probaby delivering his speech without notes.
Here are pictures of Andy Burnham meeting the king.
Burnham appointed PM by king
Andy Burnham is PM. Buckingham Palace has issued this statement.
His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.
Ms Marie-France van Heel was also received by His Majesty.
“Kissed hands” is an idiom; there is no literal kissing these days.
What Burnham can expect from Trident nuclear missile briefing he will get soon after arriving at No 10
Dan Sabbagh is the Guardian’s defence and security editor.
“Prime minister, you will have heard many things about the Trident nuclear missile system. We are here to tell you what it is truly capable of - and the decisions you need to take in the highly unlikely event its use is to be considered”.
This is the essence of how the briefing on the UK’s nuclear weapon system for Andy Burnham will begin with presentations from Antonia Romeo, the cabinet secretary, and Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff.
A former official said a new prime minister is told about Trident’s destructive power: the 40 warheads on each Vanguard-class submarine are theoretically able to destroy the Russian capital and several other major cities and kill millions, the so-called ‘Moscow criterion’.
Burnham will then be asked to write handwritten letters in the coming days for each of the Trident submarine commanders, orders for them in the extraordinarily unlikely event the UK has been destroyed in a nuclear strike and the chain of command is broken.
The letters are sealed and dispatched to the Royal Navy base at Faslane, Scotland, where they are placed securely on the next submarine due to set sail. But it is impossible to get a fresh letter to the boat at sea, so Keir Starmer’s orders remain valid until a fresh patrol starts.
Some previous accounts have emphasised that the nuclear briefing is sombre, almost to dampen a new prime minister’s mood, but one official familiar with the process described it as serious and sober, intended to prompt a “quite personal” response from the incoming leader.
It has been often said to be one of the first briefings that is given after a new prime minister walks in through the famous Downing Street door, though Boris Johnson’s official diaries suggest his briefing did not take place for two days.
Alexandra Topping is a Guardian political correspondent, in Downing Street this morning.
The podium has been taken away outside Downing Street - apparently Andy Burnham is going to give his speech without it … and without notes.
This decision is not without peril- in 2014 Ed Miliband admitted he forgot a key section of his big conference speech tackling the issue of reducing Britain’s deficit, saying it was one of the perils of speaking without the help of a teleprompter.
I was at the rightwing Cpac conference on Friday and Nigel Farage repeatly had a pop at both Starmer and Burnham for looking at their notes when they were giving speeches- which may or may not have had some bearing on the decision.
It does, to the dismay of some regular No 10 watchers, probably mean there will be no more sightings of “hot podium guy” today. The chap in charge of moving the podium, Tobias Gough, is actually a sound engineer who first caught the internet’s attention in 2019, while setting up the podium for the resignation of Theresa May. The New York Times did a deep dive (yes really) if you’re looking for ways to pass the time until Burnham turns up .
Updated
Keir Starmer followed protocol and left the palace privately with his family after resigning as prime minister, the Press Association reports. He arrived at 11.24am and left 30 minutes later.
Andy Burnham arrives at Buckingham Palace
Andy Burnham has just arrived at Buckingham Palace. He is even wearing a suit and a tie.
Updated
While we are waiting for the king to meet the “king of the north”, here are two charts from the Economist that provide insight into his popularity.
This chart shows how, with Andy Burnham as Labour leader, the number of people saying they would vote Labour rises significantly in the north of England.
In its report, the Economist says that polling by Stack Data Strategy suggests that, across Britain as a whole, support for Labour rises by 2.1 percentage points with Burnham as leader. But in the north it is up by around 6 percengate points. The Economist says:
Only 26% of seats in parliament are in the north of England but over the past decade the region has been rising in political salience. The Economist’s election model suggests that around 45% of the marginal constituencies which Labour needs to win for a parliamentary majority are in the north.
And this chart shows how supporters of different parties rank Burnham’s favourability compared to Keir Starmer’s.
Although Reform UK voters prefer Burnham to Starmer, the Economist says it is a mistake to think Burnham will win many of them over.
With Mr Burnham’s northern, working-class hue, some commentators mistakenly believe he is particularly appealing to supporters of the populist-right Reform UK (many of whom are northern or working class). In Stack’s polling, just 2% of Reform supporters switch to Labour when Mr Burnham is listed as party leader—compared with 4% of Liberal Democrats, 5% of Conservatives and 6% of Green supporters.
Here is a picture of Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arriving at Buckingham Palace, where they were met by Sir Clive Alderton (left), principal private secretary to the king.
Buckingham Palace has issued this statement.
Sir Keir Starmer MP had an audience of The King this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury which His Majesty was graciously pleased to accept.
Lady Starmer was also received by The King.
Starmer formally resigns as PM at meeting with king
Keir Starmer has formally resigned as prime minister after a meeting with the king at Buckingham Palace, the Press Association reports.
This is from the Labour MP Kirsty McNeill about Keir Starmer’s speech, and the passage about the great things done by millions of Britons. (See 11.26am.)
What a beautiful line from Keir Starmer, about the millions of people who devote their efforts to changing the ground beneath their feet. He is one of them and his public service has changed lives for the better.
Alexandra Topping is a Guardian political correspondent, in Downing Street this morning.
And there we have it. With a smile and a wave - and a political blink of an eye- the Keir Starmer era is over. A firm, resolutely proud speech from Starmer - we saw no tears, just the firm assertion Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.
And now everyone ready to get back into position for the next guy … Andy Burnham, the sixth British prime in a decade is expected here within the hour. We’ll be waiting. (And I will, inevitably, still be here being shouted at by various people for standing in the wrong spot.)
Updated
Keir Starmer is now at Buckingham Palace for his audience with the king.
Updated
Starmer says he's leaving No 10 with 'good grace' and a 'smile'
Starmer finished his speech by saying Andy Burnham had his full support.
So as I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support.
And finally, I want to thank once again my family, Vic and our children, my team, all the staff here and across the Labour party, everyone at No 10 and across the civil service and everyone who has supported our efforts along the way.
For all the focus on individuals, politics will always be a team sport and the changes we’ve delivered for our country and our party belong to everyone who has fought for them. I thank them again today.
And I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve.
I go with good grace. I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved.
Thank you very much.
Starmer praises acts of 'resolve, grit, decency and compassion' done by millions of Britons every day
Starmer says the most humbling aspect of the job has been the ability to see the greatest things the country can do.
The most humbling aspect of this job is the front row seat. You get to witness the greatest things of this country in action, to see every day immeasurable acts of resolve, grit, decency and compassion from people who serve our country, whether that’s in their regimental colours, NHS scrubs or simply the millions of people in their communities who volunteer their time and their effort to the ground beneath their feet.
We face a world now where our enemies will stop at nothing to divide us because of our values, our freedom, our decency, and frankly, because of our unflinching resolve towards the brave people of Ukraine.
And so, under this attack, it is vital that we remember the greatness of the Britain all around us; that while we debate how to fix our problems, there is something we inherit from our country and our character that can give us confidence that we can change our country for the better; that we can create a Britain where every child can go as far as their talent will take them, and we can unite different people under our common flag if we don’t succumb to that division.
Updated
Starmer says Britain is 'stronger and fairer than it was 2 years ago'
Starmer says:
I’m about to visit His Majesty the King to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as prime minister.
My work is done.
In six and a half years I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country, and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.
Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as prime minister, and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.
Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years.
Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day.
Immigration is down significantly.
Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing, and our international reputation is greatly enhanced.
Updated
Starmer starts by saying his work is done.
He says he is going to see the king to resign.
His work is done, he says.
Starmer gives final speech from Downing Street
Keir Starmer is starting his speech.
He begins with a “thank you”.
Updated
Alexandra Topping is a Guardian political correspondent, in Downing Street this morning.
It’s pure theatre outside Downing Street. Journalists from all over the world jostling for space, tripping over each other’s expensive equipment and generally being disgruntled.
It was a bit of scrum getting through security. And there was a telling moment when the police shouted for guests to come forward to the start of the queue. Then as a group approached officers clarified that they were letting in “Mr Starmer’s” guests …
Downing Street staff have come out now, getting ready to hear Keir Starmer’s speech.
James Timpson has resigned as prison minister, the BBC is reporting.
There were reports saying Andy Burnham was planning to tell ministers if they were not going to keep their jobs, giving them the chance to resign rather than be sacked. On Sky News, Beth Rigby is speculating that Burnham might want to give that job to Sally Jameson, the MP for Doncaster Central who is a former prison officer.
Timpson was a surprise appointment when he got the job in 2024. He had no background in Labour politics, but was a prominent liberal on penal policy, famous for running the family shoe company which employs a large number of ex-offenders.
Jenny Chapman, the development minister, is one of Keir Starmer’s most loyal allies. She was one of the small group of friends encouraging him to prepare a leadership bid even before the 2019 election.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, she said he was “reconciled” to leaving office. She said:
I think some of this is to do with his experience before coming into politics... and I think he has perspective in a way that those that have spent our lives, including me, in Westminster and in politics sometimes don’t.
This is a change of power in a country where we do this in a way that’s smooth, respectful, and that’s what you’re seeing today, and I think that he feels that helps him.
The No 10 “podium guy” is out, setting up the lectern.
Prime ministers come and go, even the monarch has changed in recent years, but Larry, the Downing Street cat, does provide some continuity. He has been there since 2011 and he has been on the prowl this morning.
Andy Burnham may see banners urging the government not to allow the proposed Rosebank oil field development in the North Sea as he drives to Buckingham Palace and the No 10 today.
Here is a banner on Whitehall.
And here are protesters outside Buckingham Palace.
Keir Starmer has posted a video on Instagram about his record as PM. He says:
The test of any Prime Minister is: do you leave your country in a better place than you found it?
I’m proud that the answer is yes.
In her interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg yesterday, Lucy Powell, the deputy Labour leader and a prominent Andy Burnham ally, attempted to hose down reports suggesting Burnham would issue new licences for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
She said that the Labour manifesto policy (which said “we will not issue new licences to explore new fields”) would still apply. But there might be a “change of emphasis”, she implied. She said:
I think what Andy is talking about is taking a more pragmatic approach and working with the industry to make sure that it can contribute to that transition and to the mix that is needed over the long term. So, let’s see what he’s got to say about that, but I don’t think it’s a change of policy. It’s more a change of emphasis.
This may not go down in Washington. Yesterday Donald Trump posted a message on his Truth Social platform claiming that Burnham would be opening up the North Sea “all the way”.
It was not clear from the post whether this was just routine Trump detachment from reality, or whether this was an intentional misrepresentation designed to give Trump the excuse for his first row with the new UK PM when he discovers that Burnham is not a fossil fuel fanatic.
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And, on the subject of the No 10 lectern, Andy Burnham may not be using it when he delivers his speech today, according to the BBC’s Chris Mason. Mason says Burnham is “determined to hit the ground running and, where possible, to maintain the style of leadership he adopted as the mayor of Greater Manchester.”
When Keir Starmer last gave a speech outside Downing Street, on the day he announced he would be resigning, part of his speech was almost drowned out by the sound of the Ode to Joy, the EU anthem, being played in Whitehall by the veteran anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray. Bray had done this several times before to prime ministers speaking from a lectern outside No 10.
But he won’t be doing that today. Yesterday the Metropolitan police put this announcement on social media.
Conditions are in place on Whitehall tomorrow (Monday, 20 July).
Anyone assembling near the Downing Street gates to observe events linked to the new Prime Minister must not use any amplified noise equipment and must stay within the shaded area. These conditions are in place between 10:30 – 13:30.
In response, Bray has set up shop outside Buckingham Palace. But he told the BBC he would not be playing music when Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham head there for their audiences with the king.
Here are some pictures of the media scrum at Downing Street this morning.
Burnham confirms he is planning 'early moves' to help people with cost of living
Here are some more lines from Patrick Maguire’s interview with Andy Burnham in the Times today.
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Burnham insisted that he would govern “in a different way”. He said:
Judge me in six, twelve months on whether I’ve lapsed back into that [doing conventional politics]. I’m going to really try not to. Politics needs a bit of a line drawn. What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s the way I see it. We’ve had a decade of it just not working. Carry on like that or try and do it in a different way. I am going to try and do things in a different way.
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He said there would be “early moves” to help people with the cost of living. He said:
You will see early moves to help. It’s all about helping people …
It’s much more about the real show in town, which is that pressure people feel around their finances, and what we heard on the doorstep all over Makerfield: can’t go out for a pint on Friday, can’t go out with the kids, can’t have a holiday, that’s where it is, isn’t it?
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He did not say what the early moves would be, but he said he had been speaking to the Treasury about “some of the announcements” he would be making this week.
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He defended the decision announced yesterday to scrap Keir Starmer’s plan for digital ID. He said:
You’ve seen what we’ve done with digital ID this morning. That’s an example of what’s to come, freeing up resource from something that, in my view, wouldn’t make a tangible difference to people’s lives anytime soon. And even if it did, it wouldn’t necessarily make life easier, it might do in the long run.
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He said he wanted to be PM to change things, not because he was just interested in holding high office. He said:
It’s all about what you do, though, isn’t it? There’s no point being here because you’re here. I won’t name names, but I do think I have seen people in parliament, Westminster … they get to something because they want to do that something. They want to be that office holder, and that’s it. I can honestly say that isn’t good enough for me, it really isn’t — just to say I got there. I’ve never been like that. I promise you: it’s what I do with it.
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He said his critique of the economy was “more sophisticated” than people gave him credit for. He said:
There’s a critique here that is a more sophisticated critique than some people think. I think you have to rethink how we run things to get a different approach to public spending, and to running the economy — more focused on early investment, early intervention, setting people up for success, and much less paying for failure.
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He said he would trust his “instincts” when taking decisions. He said:
It’s where I’ve gone wrong, sometimes in my political career … It’s when I’ve not been true to my instincts. I hate saying it like this, but my instincts are pretty good. And I said it on Friday: I do listen to people.
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He said the access talks he had had with civil servants over the past few weeks had been “a really great process”. He added: “I think we’ve got to a really good place. Everyone’s aligned.”
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He said he had found the extent of negative briefing at Westminster “a bit of a shock”. He added:
I’m going to say things about my generation of politicians as not being good enough. I do think a lot of people need to collectively reflect a bit. We’re almost just following the worst patterns of social media.
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He said he would try to find “common ground” with opposition politicians, suggesting he would be willing to have a drink with Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage. He said:
I’ll try and find common ground with anybody … I will always recognise capable politicians when I see them. I think Kemi is probably much more capable than some of her predecessors. She’s certainly impressive in some ways. And you’ve got to admire Farage’s communication skills.
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He said he was “ready” to be PM, and claimed he felt “fairly relaxed” about it.
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He said he had persuaded the No 10 security team to let him carry on attending Everton matches in his own seat in the stands. (He is a season ticket holder.) “I’ve already got a commitment … I can try it, at least,” he said. Keir Starmer is an Arsenal season ticket holder, but when he became PM he was told he had to watch matches from the directors’ box because the police argued they would not be able to keep him safe if watched from the stands. Burnham said this was very important to him because he wanted to be in the stands so he could hear what other people had to say. He said:
I said it on Friday: I do listen to people. That’s where I’ve always picked up my straws in the wind. And that’s my style. I’ve got to find a way of keeping that: sitting in my own seat. It’s actually the best thing I could do. Every game there would be a mega focus group on me.
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He said he had told officials that he was Catholic, and he suggested that meant some Church of England-related decisions might be delegated elsewhere. Burnham no longer attends mass regularly. But, describing what happened when officials asked if he was Catholic, he replied: “My mother would never forgive me if I answered no to that question.”
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He talked about his father, who has dementia and does not appreciate that his son is becoming PM. He also said that his father spent many years trying to persuade his son to back proportional representation. He said:
I don’t think he’s ever realised, because of his condition, that I’ve come round to PR, which is one of his missions — to get me to accept that.
Andy Burnham to become new prime minister and lay out ‘10-year plan’ for the UK in No 10 speech
Good morning. Today we are getting a new PM. It is the sixth time this has happened in just over a decade (Theresa May replaced David Cameron on 13 July 2016), and so in some respects there is nothing very new or surprising about this. Yet the process has been unusual. In the past, when parties in power have replaced a PM, generally they have opted for someone popular with their own MPs, but less popular than their predecessor with the public at large (Liz Truss, Theresa May, Gordon Brown), or for someone more popular with the public, but less liked by their own activists (John Major, Rishi Sunak). At the start of the year, anyone looking at polling would have concluded that the logical choice for Labour would have been to replace Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham. Labour is not always noted for taking decisions that will be electorally beneficial, but in this case that is what it has achieved. It has replaced a PM who had become an electoral millstone with one of the most admired politicians in the country, and with someone – for the moment at least – with his whole party behind him.
That may not be the case by the end of the day, after Burnham has named his cabinet. We’ll have to see. Here is Rowena Mason’s overnight story about what to expect today.
Burnham has given an interview to the Times and, while it does not contain any big new announcements, it is full of intriguing clues as to how he will govern. Two in particular stand out.
First, Burnham said he would be setting out a “10-year plan” for the country. He also told the Times that this was a statement about the scale of his ambitions, not about how long he planned to stay as PM. Patrick Maguire, who interviewed Burnham, said:
This week [Burnham] will tell us of his “ten-year plan for the country”. Perhaps his premiership won’t last that long, he conceded. “I’m not saying that means I’m setting out to say I’m going to be here for ten years … it’s more that we’re not in the right place structurally, we’re not in the right place as a country. I think people can feel that.”
Still, it sounds like Burnham would like to stay for 10 years.
And, second, Burnham dismissed claims that he was an inherent tax raiser. He even suggested that he would like to reverse the freeze in the personal allowance that has functioned as a stealth tax, leading to people paying proportionally more tax every year as their pay goes up but the allowance doesn’t. Burnham told Maguire:
One thing I heard most on the doorsteps in Makerfield was frustration about the personal allowance, frozen at £12,570 … [That complaint] lodged in my mind.
Burnham did not commit to ending the freeze, which would cost billions. But he suggested he was not a kneejerk tax raiser. He told Maguire:
They’re just characterising me as a tax raiser. Well, again, it’s never that simplistic, is it?
Last week Burnham said in an interview he thought he might have to ask people to pay “a little more” in tax.
I will post more from the Times interview shortly.
Here is the agenda for the day.
11.15am: Keir Starmer gives his final speech from Downing Street, before leaving to tender his resignation to the king.
12.40pm: Andy Burnham arrives in Downing Street where he will give a speech, having been appointed PM by the king at Buckingham Palace.
Afternoon: Burnham appoints his cabinet.
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