Andy Burnham becomes UK Labour leader, will become prime minister Monday

Andy Burnham was officially declared leader of Britain's governing Labour Party on Friday, clearing his final hurdle to taking office as prime minister Monday.

The centre-left party announced the result of a leadership contest to replace departing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in which Burnham was the only contender. He secured nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons.

"We're going to give them hope back," Burnham said in his first speech as leader. "This is a proud moment you have given me and my family today, and an emotional one, but it is one for which I am ready."

Burnham, 56, has been prime minister-in-waiting for weeks but has revealed little detail about his policy priorities. He will arrive in Number 10 largely unknown to voters outside Manchester, bringing a more relaxed leadership style than the stern Starmer.

He faces many of the same challenges as his predecessor: a sluggish economy, a cost-of-living squeeze fueled by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and overstretched public services. He has pledged to build a politics "based on unity and hope" and an economy that spreads growth evenly across the country.

In his first speech, Burnham sketched out priorities including economic renewal, more public control of key sectors, creating modern industrial jobs, and tackling patchy access to social care — a pressing issue in a country with an aging population.

Starmer announced last month he would resign after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public. Labour regularly trails anti-immigration party Reform UK in opinion polls and had catastrophic results in local elections in May.

Burnham will remain prime minister until Monday, when he formally tenders his resignation to King Charles III. The king will then ask Burnham to form a government. Britain's parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders without a general election — the next national election doesn't have to be held until 2029. Burnham will be the UK's seventh leader since 2016.