The 20th of July brought a new prime minister to Britain, and as the fifth in four years, the new Labour leader Andy Burnham will take up the post, writes the BBC.
Boris Johnson left office in 2022, and since then Liz Truss, who spent only 50 days in the Downing Street office, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have tried to lead the country. Therefore, it is no wonder that Burnham has stated that he is well aware of the tangled situation in the British political scene.
In post-pandemic and post-Brexit Britain, at a time when part of the public has long felt that life is becoming increasingly difficult, the general mood is impatient and political support for leaders is fragmented. Accordingly, the politicians in power have been extremely unpopular. It is against this backdrop that Burnham arrives in Downing Street, where Starmer has spent 746 days. Now Burnham will try to avoid his government becoming unpopular too.
Burnham is determined to take office with vigor, and to maintain the leadership style he used when he led the Manchester region. True, the rules of the House of Commons and meetings with the king will mean that he will have to put on a suit much more often.
At the same time, it is possible that Burnham will not bother himself with other formalities,
such as his first speech at the door of 10 Downing Street as prime minister. It is also said that Burnham is a passionate advocate of holding debate sessions with voters across the country.
But before Burnham enters Downing Street, Starmer will first leave. He is expected to make a formal speech and then go to the king to officially leave the post of prime minister. Starmer could mention what he sees as his achievements at home and in global politics. His team is particularly proud of the work done on immigration, and shortened waiting times for medical services; they have also worked to reduce child poverty, and introduced a ban on the use of social media for teenagers under 16.
Information about the new cabinet is expected on the evening of the 20th of July. The question of who will occupy the most influential ministerial positions, including who will lead the Home Office and Foreign Office, is causing the most speculation.
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