Andy Burnham at Buckingham PalaceAndy Burnham has become the UK's 59th prime minister after winning the Labour leadership unopposed, following Keir Starmer's resignation. He is also the UK’s 7th PM in 10 years.Burnham, 56, formally accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government after Starmer tendered his resignation at Buckingham Palace. He became prime minister the moment he accepted the King's invitation, in a ceremony traditionally known as "kissing hands."The former Greater Manchester mayor, nicknamed the "King of the North," will not face MPs until September when Parliament returns from its six-week recess, unless he decides to recall the Commons earlier.First addressBurnham promised a "circuit-breaker moment" for Britain in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, acknowledging that politicians "have not been good enough" and vowing to restore stability and trust in government."I hear you. We have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be," Burnham said. "We will make this moment a circuit-breaker for Britain and there will be a new political model."He pointed to what he called "wrong turns" in the 1980s, including privatisation and de-industrialisation, and said many areas still hadn't recovered. He pledged to change politics to make it more collaborative and focused on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.Burnham said he would start laying out plans to give people more "breathing space" on the cost of living from tomorrow, and would set out how to pay for them.He pledged to take power out of Westminster and bring it into "every postcode in the land," build a new economy by putting "life's essentials back under public control," re-industrialise Britain and "back British industry."Later this year, he said, he would lay out a 10-year plan for Britain.Burnham said more young people would be helped into work by changing the education system, with more support including mental health services. He pledged to build more council homes as the "fair and sustainable way" to bring the welfare bill down."I will issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country," he said.Burnham said he would focus on "putting the right values and right standards at the heart of government. The care of people will be at the heart of everything I will do."He urged the public and his supporters to stand by him, saying this was the moment "when Britain starts to believe again — the moment we bring back hope."In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham promised to chart "a new path" for Britain, focusing on making life more affordable and reducing regional inequalities.He had also pledged to govern for every part of the UK. "I will be a leader for the North, the South, the East and the West, for Scotland, Wales and for Northern Ireland."Summer 'listening tour'Burnham is also said undertake a "listening tour" of the UK in August while Parliament is in recess. Among the areas understood to be on his itinerary is Port Talbot in south Wales, which saw the closure of its last steel-making blast furnace in September 2024, resulting in 2,800 job losses as it transitions to greener steel-making.Several Welsh Labour MPs told BBC Wales that they understand Burnham intends to visit the town, once home to the UK's largest steelworks.Starmer's resignationStarmer announced on June 22 that he would step down after less than two years in office, following heavy Labour losses in local elections and political controversies including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.At his final Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer defended his record, citing stronger protections for working people, a reduction in child poverty, a law to stop official cover-ups after tragedies, and higher defence spending. "I am proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it," he said.Under party rules, candidates must secure the backing of at least one-fifth of Labour MPs to enter the race. Burnham met that threshold and, with no other candidates standing, was elected unopposed.Do you agree with the pledge to take power out of Westminster?Yes, it's necessaryNo, I prefer centralized power3k+ users shared opinion today5k+ users already voted today3k+ users shared opinion todayShare OpinionCatch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.