Andy Burnham officially became the United Kingdom's prime minister on Monday after King Charles III invited him to form a new government, succeeding Keir Starmer following the latter's resignation as Labour leader.
Burnham, the seventh UK prime minister since 2016, met the King at Buckingham Palace, where the traditional "kissing hands" ceremony marked the transfer of power. Buckingham Palace said the King requested Burnham to form a new administration, which he accepted.
Burnham set to replace Starmer but faces challenge of delivering change
In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham acknowledged the country's frequent leadership changes over the past decade and said politicians "need to be better." He pledged to deliver a "circuit breaker" for a political system he believes has taken the wrong direction since the 1980s, restore stability, make politics "less toxic," improve living standards and revive public hope.
