Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party on Monday, saying every decision he has made in office has been about “putting the country I love first.”
Sir Keir Starmer served as the 58th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from July 5, 2024, until he announced his resignation on June 22, 2026.
His potential replacement Andy Burnham will reportedly be in Westminster today to be sworn in as MP for Makerfield, after winning the by-election last week. But the question who is he?
Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham, who has just been elected to the British parliament after his decisive victory in the Makerfield parliamentary by-election, is the frontrunner to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Burnham previously served as the high-profile Mayor of Greater Manchester from May 2017 until June 19, 2026.
Born in Merseyside in 1970, Burnham studied English at the University of Cambridge before entering politics. He has served as MP from 2001 to 2017.
Moreover, he held several senior cabinet positions under Gordon Brown, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary, and Health Secretary.
It should be noted that Burnham has had two attempts to lead the Labour Party, however, he failed on both occasions in 2010 (losing to Ed Miliband) and the 2015 contest (won by Jeremy Corbyn).
