Labour Party officially proclaims Andy Burnham as new leader

Andy Burnham has been officially proclaimed the new leader of the Labour Party, assuming the role unopposed. In his acceptance speech, Burnham promised to lead a "Labour Party without complexes in its priorities and decisions, placing people and territories at the heart of all its actions."

The British left has placed its hopes on the former mayor of Manchester, whose popularity is seen as a crucial chance to counter the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Labour organized a special mini-congress to formally announce Burnham's leadership and allow him to outline his agenda.

Burnham is set to enter Downing Street as prime minister on Monday, following a formal ceremony. Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on June 22, unable to withstand pressure from his MPs. Starmer will formally communicate his resignation to King Charles III and propose Burnham to form a new government.

Burnham's vision includes a "renewed government focused on boosting growth in every postcode and returning power to local governments." He vowed to have the "courage to fix all the big issues that politics has neglected" and the "conviction to defend our plans," signaling a departure from Starmer's approach. Burnham and Starmer have a long-standing, underlying rivalry and reportedly lack mutual sympathy.