Andy Burnham becomes Britain’s new prime minister

LONDON,—Andy Burnham took office as Britain’s prime minister on Monday, becoming the seventh person to hold the job in ten years after Keir Starmer stepped down.

Burnham, who previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester, gave his first address as leader outside 10 Downing Street.

Later that day, Burnham told reporters he wanted to fix Britain’s social care system before leaving office, saying he planned to spend some of his political standing on the issue.

He spoke about his father’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and said people who need social care often end up relying on the already overloaded National Health Service instead.

Burnham said he first pushed to change how social care is funded while serving as health minister under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He said the problem has gone unresolved for nearly three decades, forcing many older adults to spend their savings and even lose their homes to pay for care.

Unlike NHS services, which are free, social care in Britain is not free for most residents. Past leaders have discussed placing limits on care costs but failed to gain enough backing for such an expensive plan.

Burnham called the current system indefensible and said it must be addressed.

Burnham also named his top ministers, choosing John Healey, a former defense minister, as his finance minister. He said he wants his government to act faster than Starmer’s did.

He plans to announce his first policies on Tuesday, aimed at easing the cost of living. Those could include capping bus fares, a step he took while mayor of Manchester, or cutting energy bills.

He gave no firm details but said the plan would show his commitment to putting people’s welfare first, adding that it would not fix every problem but would demonstrate the direction his government intends to take.

Burnham, nicknamed the “King of the North” for his advocacy on behalf of Greater Manchester, is currently the most popular figure among Britain’s major party leaders and holds strong support within the Labour Party.

Still, frequent leadership changes in Britain over the past decade show how fast public backing can fade, and Burnham is expected to move swiftly to strengthen his position.

He said ending rough sleeping is one of his top goals, alongside efforts to help Labour compete against the rising Reform UK party.

Investors are watching closely to see how Burnham and Healey intend to pay for their plans. Government borrowing costs climbed Monday, sending 30 year bond yields to their highest level in two months.

Some investors grew uneasy after Burnham said he would use any flexibility available under current fiscal rules.

(With files from Reuters)