Andy Burnham becomes Britain’s new PM, the seventh in 10 years
Britain’s incoming prime minister, Andy Burnham, promises stability and vows to 'make politics work better' as he becomes the seventh leader in 10 years
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Britain’s new prime minister Andy Burnham has vowed to “make politics work better” after he formally accepted the top job following a meeting with King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Greeted by cheers and applause as he arrived at Number 10 Downing Street* to make his maiden speech, Mr Burnham said he was “acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street, the seventh prime minister since 2016”.
Describing the moment as an opportunity for reflection, he said his generation of politicians needed to raise their game.
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability again,” he said.
“I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you, and I want to be honest with you,” he continued, “We have not been good enough and we need to be better”.
He described the moment as a circuit breaker* for Britain and vowed to bring back hope.
Earlier, the Palace issued a formal notice saying Mr Burnham, 56, had met with the King and was requested to form a new administration.*
“Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands* upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury,” the notice said.
Mr Burnham is the UK’s seventh prime minister in ten years – and the fifth in the last four years – after Boris Johnson left office in September 2022.
Mr Johnson was briefly followed by Liz Truss, who only lasted 49 days in the role, before Rishi Sunak took over in October 2022. He was defeated by Mr Starmer in a landslide* election in 2024.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Burnham’s predecessor Sir Keir Starmer described his time as the UK’s prime minister as the “privilege of his life” as he delivered his final address before formally tendering* his resignation.
Speaking outside of No. 10 for the last time, Mr Starmer said he was leaving with “good grace and a smile” and gave Mr Burnham his full support.
In the brief address, he recounted some of his achievements as PM, saying the country was now “stronger and fairer” than it was when he entered office two years ago.
He also said it was vital to “remember the greatness of the Britain around us” and that the country could be “changed for the better” if it doesn’t succumb* to division.
He then left No. 10 to travel to Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles to formally tender his resignation. A photo released by the Palace showed Mr Starmer shaking hands with the King in the Chinese dining room.
Mr Burnham arrived at Buckingham Palace a short while later where he also had an audience with the King and was asked to form the next government. He spent 35 minutes inside the palace, just a little longer than the time Mr Starmer spent with the head of state.
Mr Starmer served just two years in the top job after leading Labour* to power in a landslide election victory after 14 years of Conservative* rule.
He was the latest in a string of short-lived prime ministers who have entered and exited office during a decade of political turmoil since the Brexit* vote.
A NEW ERA OF POLITICS
Laying out his priorities as prime minister, Mr Burnham on Monday pledged to deliver cost of living help and to “end rough sleeping”.
He also said he wanted to help young people into work through education and by bolstering mental health services, and promised to build more council homes.*
In an interview with The Times published late on Sunday, Mr Burnham set out his ambition for change, saying he wanted to draw a line under a decade of chaos in UK politics.
“What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s the way I see it,” he said.
“I am going to try and do things in a different way.”
An announcement on his senior cabinet* appointments is also expected on Monday.
Nicknamed the “King of the North”, Mr Burnham was parachuted in by the Labour Party, after Mr Starmer resigned last month, with MPs viewing him as the party’s best chance of reining in Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK* party.
– with AFP
POLL
GLOSSARY
- Number 10 Downing St: the primary residence of the British Prime Minister in London
- circuit breaker: a safety switch that cuts off electricity, but used in this story to signify a break and opportunity for a start fresh
- administration: the people who form government
- kissed hands: the tradition of a newly-appointed prime minister formally accepting their role from the king
- landslide: winning an election with a big number of votes
- tendering: a formal announcement to your employer that you are resigning from your role
- succumb: to accept defeat
- Labour Party: major left-wing party in British politics which believes wealth and power should be shared fairly and public services should be free for everyone
- Conservative Party: major right-wing party in British politics which advocates property ownership and free enterprise
- Brexit: the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union
- council homes: homes that are generally cheaper to rent and owned by the local council
- Cabinet: a group of the most senior ministers in a government who meet regularly to discuss policies
- Reform UK: right-wing party in British politics which believes in less immigration, low taxes and low government spending
EXTRA READING
Parties line up in the game of politics
Australia’s system of government
Learn about why we have elections and what they achieve
QUICK QUIZ
- What political party does Andy Burnham lead?
- Who was the previous prime minister of Britain and what party was he from?
- Name three things Mr Burnham said were his priorities
- What happened when Mr Burnham visited Buckingham Palace?
- Name three parties in British politics
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Political Infographic
An infographic is a visual representation of information that combines data, text, and graphics to communicate complex ideas quickly and clearly.
Create your own infographic on the frequent leadership changes in Britain highlighting what effects they have had on the country and the people.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Why do you think Britain has had so many Prime Ministers?
What is political stability?
Why is a stable government important?
How does this compare to Australia’s Prime Ministers?
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the event being discussed in the article, or for the interview.
Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.