Andy Burnham to become UK prime minister after Starmer's resignation

Burnham must now receive the approval of King Charles III before he can formally lead the British government.

Road to Downing Street

As the BBC reports, this was not Burnham's first bid for the leadership of the Labour Party. He ran for the position in 2010 and 2015 but was defeated by Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn.

In 2017, he left Parliament to become the first mayor of Greater Manchester. In that role, he gained popularity by reforming the region's public transport system and bringing it together under the Bee Network brand.

Andy Burnham returned to frontline politics after the May elections, when Labour suffered setbacks and party leader Keir Starmer came under pressure amid a wave of ministerial resignations.

To allow Burnham to return to Parliament, Labour MP Josh Simons voluntarily gave up his Makerfield seat.

Andy Burnham, Britain's new prime minister (photo: Getty Images)

Why is he known as the King of the North?

Burnham will become the first prime minister since Harold Wilson in the 1960s and 1970s to openly emphasize his roots in northern England.

He earned the widely recognized nickname King of the North in 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic, Burnham publicly challenged the government, accusing it of showing disdain toward northern regions, and refused to impose additional COVID-19 restrictions in Greater Manchester.

What else is known about Burnham?

Britain's new prime minister was born in Liverpool in 1970 to an engineer father and an administrator mother, both of whom were strong supporters of the Labour Party.

Burnham began his political career as a researcher and was first elected to Parliament in 2001, representing the constituency of Leigh in Greater Manchester.

He later served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including as culture secretary and health secretary.