UK Labour party to crown Burnham as leader and next PM
Andy Burnham, speaks to supporters and members of the media the morning after his by-election victory, at Ashton Town FC in Ashton in Makerfield, north-west England on June 19, 2026. (AFP)
Britain's ruling Labour party will confirm veteran politician Andy Burnham as its new leader, and the country's next prime minister, at a special conference on July 17.
As centre-left Labour has an overwhelming majority in parliament, the 56-year-old is set to replace Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street on Monday, a mere four weeks after he sensationally returned as an MP following a nine-year absence.
Burnham will become the U.K.'s seventh prime minister in a decade, as British lawmakers appear increasingly willing to turn against their own leaders when their party runs into political hot water.
