Andy Burnham takes over as UK prime minister after Starmer quits

Andy Burnham takes office Monday as the United Kingdom’s new prime minister after Keir Starmer resigned in June and Burnham ran unopposed to lead the Labour Party. Burnham, 56, is a Labour member of Parliament for Makerfield and a former mayor of Greater Manchester whose political identity has been shaped by his working-class roots in northern England. Born near Liverpool to a telephone engineer and a receptionist, he later studied English literature at the University of Cambridge before entering Parliament at 31. Analysts say his northern background and profile in Manchester could help Labour reconnect with working-class voters who have drifted toward right-wing parties in recent years.