Andy Burnham Becomes Prime Minister, Sweeping Cabinet Reshuffle

Andy Burnham was appointed the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade on 20 July 2026, accepting King Charles III's invitation to form a government after a 35-minute audience at Buckingham Palace following Keir Starmer's resignation. In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham pledged to 'regain our stability' and make the moment 'a circuit-breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years,' announcing his first instruction would be to end rough sleeping, followed by an extra £340 million commitment to tackling homelessness. He immediately reshuffled the cabinet, dismissing around 15 ministers: Rachel Reeves left as Chancellor after reportedly turning down an alternative post, David Lammy departed as Deputy PM and Justice Secretary, and Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Housing Secretary Steve Reed also left government. John Healey was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Ed Miliband moved to Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper became Health Secretary, Wes Streeting rejoined as Defence Secretary, and Angela Rayner returned to her previous brief as Housing Secretary. Shabana Mahmood was retained as Home Secretary, while Louise Haigh became First Secretary of State rather than filling a vacant Deputy PM post. Burnham's is the first UK cabinet with a majority of female members — 12 of 23.