Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister

Andy Burnham has officially become the new leader of the Labour party and prime minister.

This follows Sir Kier Starmer’s resignation last month and Burnham’s win at the Makerfield by-election on 18th June.

Burnham, who was Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026, becomes the UK’s 59th prime minister and the seventh in the last 10 years.

Starmer made a speech outside 10 Downing Street this morning and has formally resigned at Buckingham Palace.

The new PM will be expected to announce his new cabinet in due course.

Ryan Etchells, CCO at Together, commented: “A new prime minister brings a fresh start — but the challenges ahead for Andy Burnham are immense.

“The biggest challenge will be turning his local success into national growth.

“Infrastructure and housing need serious attention, not only to keep firing the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ but to deliver growth for the whole country.

“To prevent the economy from stalling, Burnham must ensure what worked in Manchester works across Britain.

“However, while the new Labour government has signalled a willingness to spend for growth, they have very little fiscal headroom to play with.

“Upcoming tax decisions could make or break the administration come the autumn.

“Britain desperately needs more homes, yet rising tax pressures are making many developments unviable.

“Unless the government gets housebuilders building again and sensibly delivers on his ambitious council housing programme, growth will remain stuck in the mud.”

Vanessa Hale, chief executive at Real Estate:UK, said: “The new PM has waited a long time for this role and we wish him well.

“Bringing forward the new housing and modern workplaces this country needs also takes a long time — too long.

“Burnham will know from his time in charge of Manchester that creating a positive climate for investment results in more development, economic growth and jobs.

“We can't wait to work with his administration to spread Manchester's success to the rest of the country."

Paul Rickard, chief executive at Pocket Living, said: “In Andy Burnham we have a Prime Minister who has placed housing at the very heart of his domestic agenda and it is vital that his new administration not only continues with the planning reform agenda of the previous one, but seriously gets to grips with the viability challenge currently strangling the housebuilding sector across the UK.

"As part of that, it is imperative that his new ministers also seek to integrate housing delivery with Andy Burnham’s wider industrial policies, including defence and life sciences, to provide a supporting housing offer that creates the foundations for these key sectors.

"In the remaining time before the next general election, we would urge the new Prime Minister to be beyond bold on tackling some of the barriers to delivery, as well as focus on how the UK can continue to attract investment into the delivery of new housing of all tenures, including local authority housing delivery in partnership with the private sector.”