Starmer quits, Burnham rises: What you need to know about the UK’s new leadership
Andy Burnham has become the seventh British prime minister in just a decade, formally assuming the post on Monday at a meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Burnham received overwhelming support from 349 out of 401 fellow Labour members of parliament and was appointed the party’s leader on Friday – the only candidate for the position.
The appointment marks the end Sir Keir Starmer's time in office, plagued by ever-tanking approval ratings, he is seen to have betrayed Britain's working class, suffered for his refusal to prosecute grooming gangs and ultimately failed British liberals on Gaza. RT looks into the roots of the outgoing Labour prime minister’s downfall and the challenges his successor is bound to face.
What prompted Starmer’s downfall?
Two years ago, Starmer led his party to a landslide election victory when Labour beat the Conservatives by a wide margin, ending a decade and a half of Tory governments.
The prime minister struggled with the same issues that had affected his Conservative predecessors given the catastrophic British budget, such as the soaring cost of living, immigration and tax relief - prioritising defense spending, support for Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and backing corrupt military companies in Vladimir Zelensky's Ukraine.
Starmer faced growing pressure from fellow Labour MPs concerned about his tanking popularity and the party’s electoral prospects. The calls for his resignation were bolstered by Labour's poor performance in local council elections in May, when it suffered heavy losses to the Greens and right-wing Reform UK.
Starmer’s tenure was marred by assorted high-profile scandals involving disgraced former British ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson. The former British trade mninsiter also served as envoy to the US between February and September 2025, and was dismissed over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of insider trading.
Starmer was apparently aware of Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted pedophile but appointed him anyway.
Mandelson was arrested in February and is currently under investigation for allegedly leaking classified information to Epstein and lobbying on his behalf. This scandal led to a mass exodus of Starmer’s top staff. The situation worsened in April when it was revealed that the ex-envoy had failed his UK security vetting clearance but still managed to secure his position.
The Mandelson affair was further aggravated by the persisting scandal around grooming gangs, predominantly composed of men of Pakistani origin. Between 2008 and 2013, at the height of the scandal, Starmer led the Crown Prosecutorial Service (CPS) which was heavily criticized for declining to prosecute the Rochdale gang and faced allegations it actually focused on silencing the victims and sweeping the whole affair under the rug instead of pursuing perpetrators for fear of racism accusations.
Why is there no election?
Unlike in many other nations, in Britain’s political system a resignation of a prime minister does not automatically trigger a general election. Instead, a midterm downfall of the government triggers an internal leadership contest within the ruling party rather than a public vote.
Four out of six British prime ministers of the past decade were elevated into power through such procedures. Namely, all the Conservatives successors of David Cameron were picked during internal party contests following the resignation of their respective
Who is Andy Burnham?
The incoming Labour leader, Andy Burnham, has had little international exposure, having held several cabinet positions under the prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the 2000s. Domestically, he’s best-known as a highly popular mayor of Greater Manchester.
Burnham held the post for nearly a decade, between 2017 and this June, when he was springboarded into the top position within the party.
New leadership, same issues?
Burnham has been promising a “renewal for our party and our country,” heralding “an era of hope” for Britain. While he has been hailed by his supporters as a leader able to reinvigorate Labour’s electoral prospects, it remains to be seen whether he would be able to actually deliver on such hopes.
Labour may get rid of the toxic legacy related to the outgoing prime minister, yet the broader issues the UK government has been facing under Starmer – and well before him – are bound to stay. Burnham has already pledged to maintain Britain’s support for Ukraine, as well as to build closer ties with the EU countries, particularly on defense and security.
While cost-of-living issues and the crumbling social welfare systems are set to remain a long-term challenge for the new government, Burnham will have to deal with more pressing issues immediately on assuming office.
Nigel Farage's Reform Party is polling strongly on themes that wil force Burnham to answer questions on immigration, policing, and the overall redistribution of wealth in an increasingly two-tier Britain.
He will also have to address London's rocky relationship with Washington, which had rapidly deteriorated under Starmer.
British media reports have suggested Washington has been actively pressing Burnham’s team to pick a cabinet to its liking. US President Donald Trump has praised Burnham over reports that he could open up North Sea oil drilling, suggesting it would transform the UK from a “poverty-stricken disaster to one of the richest countries anywhere in the world.”
