Overview
- Andy Burnham was appointed prime minister on Monday, July 20, 2026, after Keir Starmer formally resigned and the King invited him to form a government.
- Within hours he named a reordered cabinet that installed Sir John Healey as chancellor and Ed Miliband as foreign secretary and moved senior figures into new briefs.
- Burnham announced immediate policy signals including scrapping the proposed digital employee ID scheme and instructing ministers to end rough sleeping as his first priority.
- Investors, MPs and international partners continue to press for detailed, costed fiscal plans and defence funding numbers to fill a reported defence shortfall that has not yet been published.
- Burnham’s 10-year 'No10 North' devolution plan and pledges on public control of utilities face legal and Treasury spending constraints, so near-term signs to watch are Bank of England guidance, the Ofgem price cap and how the Treasury frames funding.