Overview
- Andy Burnham formed his government on July 20, 2026 and named John Healey as chancellor in a move that surprised some commentators and markets.
- Healey quit as defence secretary on June 11 because he said planned spending was too low and he has argued for raising defence outlays toward 3% of GDP by 2030.
- Burnham also appointed Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, Wes Streeting as defence secretary, and returned Angela Rayner to the cabinet as housing secretary.
- Within hours of taking office Burnham contacted President Trump, President Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and reportedly proposed hosting next year’s G20 in Manchester.
- The cabinet mix is meant to reassure investors and party factions while setting priorities on regional devolution, cost-of-living measures and a likely reassessment of defence funding that could reshape procurement and military support plans.