Andy Burnham distanced himself from UK Prime Minister Starmer, but may be stuck with his policies

By — Brian Melley, Associated Press Brian Melley, Associated Press By — Jill Lawless, Associated Press Jill Lawless, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/andy-burnham-distanced-himself-from-uk-prime-minister-starmer-but-may-be-stuck-with-his-policies Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Andy Burnham distanced himself from UK Prime Minister Starmer, but may be stuck with his policies World Jun 27, 2026 11:44 AM EDT LONDON (AP) — Britain looks set to get a change of tone at the top, replacing stolid, unpopular Prime Minister Keir Starmer with popular, affable Andy Burnham. But the charismatic Burnham may have difficulty — at least initially — distancing himself from policies set in motion by his predecessor. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester who was sworn into Parliament hours after Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, will be constrained by the platform the center-left Labour Party was elected on that decisively ended 14 years of Conservative rule in 2024. It's not entirely clear how he'll navigate those limits and bring his unique brand of politics to the revolving-door post that would make him the 7th prime minister in a decade. He'll lay out his economic vision in a speech next week. READ MORE: Andy Burnham prepares for a UK Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation "At the moment, Andy Burnham is being almost hailed and held up as a folk hero that will save British politics," said Matthew Flinders, politics professor at University of Sheffield. "The tide is changing and the big issue for Andy Burnham is that when the world suddenly moves against him and he becomes a folk devil, will he sustain the pressure?" Next PM will seek to boost a sluggish economy and ease cost of living Burnham is currently the only contestant for the job of leading the Labour Party and the country, and will likely take over July 17 if no one else enters the race. His return to the House of Commons follows a decade leading the region around the U.K.'s third-largest city, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, which has enjoyed an economic revival during his tenure. His main challenge will be to overcome Starmer's inability to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. WATCH: Starmer resigns as UK's prime minister, succumbing to political pressure Burnham highlighted those issues — along with housing and creating opportunities for young people — in a post on social media after Starmer said he was quitting. "The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get," he said on X. Burnham, who is widely regarded as sitting to the left of Starmer in the party, has said he'll revive a sluggish economy without going beyond the current government's spending and borrowing plans. That pledge has helped reassure markets traumatized in