Burnham becomes UK's seventh PM in a decade

**Alex Ritson** (0:00)
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.
I'm Alex Ritson, and a 15-hours GMT on Monday, the 20th of July. These are our main stories. Britain has another new Prime Minister as Keir Starmer steps aside and says goodbye.

**Keir Starmer** (0:20)
I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country, and won a landslide general election victory in 2024

**Alex Ritson** (0:32)
This time it's Andy Burnham, a former regional mayor, as he makes his opening speech outside No 10 Downing Street.

**Andy Burnham** (0:39)
I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you, and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better.
We will be.

**Alex Ritson** (0:54)
We'll ask what the changeover is likely to mean for UK foreign policy, and in particular, support for Ukraine. Also in this podcast, a ninth straight night of military attacks by both the US and Iran, and thousands of young Indians who call themselves the cockroaches swarm the streets to demand change in education.
Britain has a new prime minister, it's seventh in ten years. The former mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, replaces Keir Starmer as head of the Labour Party and will now lead the UK. Keir Starmer was prime minister for two years, originally elected with an overwhelming landslide. But he faced increasing disapproval from politicians in his own party and record low approval ratings with British people. He faced reporters outside 10 Downing Street for one last time, outside that famous black door with number 10 on the front, the official residence of the British prime minister and said his final goodbyes.

**Keir Starmer** (1:58)
In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024
Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as prime minister. And I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago. So as I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support. And finally, I want to thank once again, my family, Vic and our children, my team, all the staff here and across the Labour Party, everyone at No. 10 and across the Civil Service and everyone who has supported our efforts along the way. I thank them again today.
And I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve.

**Alex Ritson** (3:03)
Keir Starmer and his wife then went to a waiting car that took him to Buckingham Palace, where he handed his resignation to King Charles. A matter of minutes later, a bouncy and smiling figure arrived to take his place.
Andy Burnham waved to cheering Labour politicians as he walked up to 10 Downing Street in a crisp suit. He came from Buckingham Palace, where King Charles III had given him the task of forming a new government. Mr Burnham gave a short speech before passing through the black door.

**Andy Burnham** (3:32)
I have just come from Buckingham Palace, where I have accepted His Majesty the King's invitation to form a government.
In doing so, I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh Prime Minister since 2016
Making this a moment for reflection and new resolution. It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again. I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be. We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years.
A new political model and a new economic model. And we will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more. And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life's essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again. Reindustrialising Britain using public procurement to back British industry.
We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support. And we will build more council homes. That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down. We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people's success rather than paying for failure. And that work starts now. I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country. I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do. I will give this my all and I ask you all to pull with me. Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again. The moment we bring back hope. Thank you very much, everybody.