Prime Minister Andy Burnham said politicians “need to be better” as he delivered his first speech Monday as Britain´s new leader.
Burnham spoke for several minutes outside 10 Downing St., where he promised to end street sleeping by homeless people and deliver a “circuit breaker” for a system he says has taken wrong turns since the 1980s.
After weeks as leader-in-waiting, Burnham officially became prime minister during a meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, where the monarch asked him to form a government.
He succeeded Keir Starmer, on a day when Britain´s political turbulence gave way, at least temporarily, to smooth choreography.
Buckingham Palace has released a photo of the king and Burnham shaking hands. The ceremony known as “kissing hands” marks the transfer of power.
The palace said in a statement that the king “received in audience the Rt. Hon. Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. The Rt. Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King´s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.”
Burnham is the seventh UK prime minister since 2016 in a now well-rehearsed handover after replacing Starmer as leader of the center-left governing Labour Party on Friday.
Burnham said he was “acutely conscious” that of the revolving door he was walking through.
President Asif Ali Zardari extended his heartfelt felicitations to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on assuming office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The president expressed the hope that under Prime Minister Burnham’s leadership, Pakistan and the United Kingdom would further strengthen their longstanding bilateral partnership and expand cooperation across areas of mutual interest, a news release issued from Presidency said.
President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes. He noted that, as the world, particularly the Gulf region, has been passing through a turbulent period since late February, Pakistan has played its part in promoting peace with the support of many brotherly countries.
He expressed the hope that the United Kingdom, under Prime Minister Burnham’s leadership, would also play its part in securing a cessation of the current hostilities and return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
The president wished Prime Minister Burnham success in his new responsibilities and said that he looked forward to working together to further deepen the enduring ties between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif felicitated Andy Burnham on assuming office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
In a message on his official X wall, the prime minister wished Prime Minister Andy Burnham every success in his tenure and looked forward to working closely with him to further strengthen the historic and deep-rooted bonds of friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and the UK.
He added that the special bilateral ties between the two nations were anchored by millions of proud and vibrant British Pakistanis who served as a living bridge between the two countries.
“Together, we will strive to elevate Pakistan-UK relations, in particular, our bilateral trade and investment partnership, to new heights,” he said.