UK Prime Minister on Monday (local time) took over as the country’s latest premier after his predecessor, Keir Starmer, was made to step down last month.
Burnham, who became the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade, was formally asked by III to form a government at Buckingham Palace earlier on Monday, which the former confirmed he had accepted.
In his first speech on Monday, the new UK premier said, “We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward a new political model and a new economic model.” He added, “[We will] build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable again, reindustrializing Britain using public procurement to back British industry.”
Quick answers to key questions
What does Andy Burnham’s cabinet look like?⌵
Andy Burnham’s cabinet includes notable appointments such as John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, and Yvette Cooper as Health Secretary, among others.
Why did Andy Burnham emphasize a new economic model in his first speech?⌵
Burnham stressed the need for a new economic model to address years of instability and to shift towards stronger public control over essentials, hoping to make them more affordable.
How does Burnham plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis?⌵
Burnham intends to announce new proposals to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures facing families, which he has prioritized as a key issue for his government.
Should the UK expect significant changes under Burnham’s leadership?⌵
Yes, Burnham has promised a ‘circuit breaker’ approach, advocating for major transformations in political and economic strategies to restore stability in the UK.
What priority does Burnham place on ending homelessness?⌵
Burnham made ending rough sleeping a top priority, vowing to take immediate action to address homelessness in England as one of his first acts as Prime Minister.
As Burnham takes charge of the UK, here’s a look at his cabinet:
1. John Healey: According to The Independent, Healey has been appointed as the chancellor in Burnham’s cabinet. A longtime member of Labour’s frontbench team, he held ministerial roles during the and Gordon Brown governments and later served in the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn. Healey will now lead the Treasury, a department that prompted his exit from the government in June.
2. Ed Miliband: Burnham has appointed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, marking his return to a senior frontline role after the Corbyn era. Miliband previously served as Energy Secretary in ‘s government. His appointment is seen as reflecting his experience in international diplomacy and engagement with foreign governments during his tenure overseeing energy policy.
3. Shabana Mahmood: Under Burnham’s government, will continue to serve as Home Secretary. In her role as Home Secretary, she led the previous government’s work on establishing stricter migration controls. Mahmood, an Oxford-educated former barrister, previously served as Justice Secretary when Labour first came to power before being appointed Home Secretary. She is one of the first Muslim women elected to the House of Commons, having won the Birmingham Ladywood seat in 2010.
4. Louise Haigh: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Secretary of State, Haigh became a prominent part of Burnham’s plan to return to Westminster and enter Downing Street. According to the report, she is expected to lead Burnham’s priorities for the UK government across the Whitehall machine, including the devolution agenda. She is also expected to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
5. Yvette Cooper: Cooper, who served as Home Secretary and then Foreign Secretary under the Starmer-led government, has been appointed Health Secretary. She has reportedly been entrusted with overhauling the social care sector, an area that Burnham has said will be one of his key priorities as the new premier.
6. Wes Streeting: , who was previously seen as Burnham’s main rival in replacing Starmer as prime minister, has been appointed Defence Secretary under his cabinet. Earlier in May, he quit as Health Secretary, informing Starmer in his resignation letter that “it is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election,” and days later told reporters that he would enter the contest to replace Sir Keir.
7. Pat McFadden: A veteran Labour leader, McFadden has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary and was once considered a Starmer loyalist.
8. Angela Rayner: Rayner has made her comeback to frontline politics as Housing Secretary after she resigned from the same role under Starmer’s government, along with her posts as Labour’s deputy leader and deputy prime minister, over her tax affairs last year.
9. Jonathan Reynolds: Reynolds has made a comeback as Business Secretary, a role he held when the Labour Party won its first election, before he was moved to become the party’s chief whip.
10. Lucy Powell: Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has served in Starmer’s cabinet in different roles and continues to be the party’s deputy leader. She will now serve as Education Secretary under Burnham’s government.
11. Anneliese Midgley: Midgley will join the Cabinet as Chief Whip, the government’s senior official responsible for maintaining party discipline in Parliament. However, the role could take on a different character under Prime Minister , who has previously expressed opposition to the traditional whipping system used to ensure MPs support the government’s position in parliamentary votes.
12. Bridget Phillipson: Phillipson, a close Starmer ally, lost her job as Education Secretary but has continued as Minister for Women and Equalities, a position she will continue to hold under Burnham’s government.
13. Lisa Nandy: Nandy will continue in her role as Culture Secretary and is considered a close ally of Burnham.
14. Alex Norris: The UK prime minister has appointed Norris as Justice Secretary after he previously served as Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum.
15. Dame Angela Eagle: Dame Angela, who served as Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society under Gordon Brown, will serve as Environment Secretary.
16. Miatta Fahnbulleh: Fahnbulleh, who stepped down from her role as a housing minister to protest Starmer’s leadership earlier this year, has now been appointed Energy Secretary.
17. Ellie Reeves: Sister of former chancellor , Ellie Reeves will now serve as Attorney General after serving as Solicitor General since September 2025.
18. Heidi Alexander: Alexander, the Swindon South MP, will continue to hold her position as Transport Secretary, a post she has held since November 2024.
19. Chris Bryant: He previously served as Minister of State for Trade and has now been appointed Northern Ireland Secretary.
20. Douglas Alexander: He has been reappointed Secretary of State for Scotland and previously served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Transport Secretary, and International Development Secretary in the cabinets of Tony Blair and .
21. Stephen Kinnock: He will replace Jo Stevens as Welsh Secretary. Kinnock previously served as Care Minister under the Starmer-led government.
The new cabinet is expected to play a key role in shaping Burnham’s policy agenda as his government begins its tenure.
