Andy Burnham’s picks for senior cabinet positions will reflect both experience and a broad church of ideas, he plans to tell colleagues in his first address to the parliamentary Labour Party.
Andy Burnham, UK lawmaker, delivers a speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester, UK, on Monday, June 29, 2026. The former Greater Manchester mayor will set out how he'd "lift Britain back up" by handing more decision making powers to local authorities, overhauling procurement to boost British jobs and tackling youth unemployment.
Andy Burnham, the UK’s presumptive next prime minister, is considering unveiling a bolstered budget later this year as allies and experts seek to persuade him to pursue a land tax, public control of utilities and a more ambitious devolution strategy.
Andy Burnham Photographer: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Andy Burnham, the UK’s presumptive next prime minister, is considering unveiling a bolstered budget later this year as allies and experts seek to persuade him to pursue a land tax, public control of utilities and a more ambitious devolution strategy.
Andy Burnham Photographer: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
The European Union is set to allow Ukraine to purchase British weapons with the €60 billion ($69 billion) it’s loaning the war-torn nation for defense procurement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after meeting in Downing Street last month.
Keir Starmer’s swansong trip as Britain’s prime minister to the NATO summit this week sought to cement a shaky diplomatic legacy for a successor who’s untested in the international arena.
Keir Starmer attended the NATO summit in Ankara just as he’s poised to exit the global stage.
Senior defense officials are pushing Andy Burnham to reconsider loosening the UK’s fiscal rules to help fund its military, including by issuing war bonds.
The Netherlands and the UK signed a £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) agreement to produce new amphibious transport ships, part of a flurry of deals between European NATO members in Ankara.
The UK and Turkey are poised to sign a security and defense partnership pact on the sidelines of the NATO summit, according to people familiar with the matter.
The UK, France and Germany have launched a $50 billion NATO initiative to spur the development of long-range weapons without US involvement, aiming to close the gap in an area where Russia is well ahead.
A Eurofighter Typhoon military jet and a Taurus missile at the ILA Berlin Air Show in Berlin Germany, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The show runs until June 14.
The UK and France’s plans to de-mine the Strait of Hormuz were dealt a setback after a fresh attack on a vessel passing through the waterway, days after Oman granted the European powers permission to help clear its southern route.
Vessels anchored near Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman. Photographer: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
As Andy Burnham weighs the top team he will appoint if he becomes UK prime minister, one divisive decision could come to define his term in office: the role of Ed Miliband.
Ed Miliband Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
The UK’s long-awaited Defense Investment Plan leaves several hard choices for Andy Burnham to make if he becomes prime minister, including how to close an almost £5 billion ($6.6 billion) hole in his first budget.
Keir Starmer on June 30. Photographer: Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Getty Images
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was confident his likely successor, Andy Burnham, would maintain the UK’s commitment to defense, as he laid out plans to invest an extra £15 billion ($20 billion) to modernize the British military.
Keir Starmer on June 30. Photographer: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images
The UK will seek to transform its aging military into a force fit for modern warfare by investing in drones and artificial intelligence alongside more traditional deterrents such as fighter jets and nuclear weapons.
Standing across from Keir Starmer in the Commons chamber this week, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch drew on a particularly violent metaphor for how the Labour Party had ditched him when she conjured up an image of “400 knives stuck in the prime minister’s back.”
Rachel Reeves appeared to concede that Andy Burnham won’t keep her on as Chancellor of the Exchequer, while insisting she has a long and close relationship with the man expected to replace Keir Starmer as UK prime minister next month.
In his final weeks as Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, has repeatedly warned how “dangerous and volatile” the world is becoming. Andy Burnham is on a collision course with it.
Keir Starmer said he would step down as Britain’s prime minister after suffering a precipitous fall from favor, paving the way for Andy Burnham to succeed him.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, on June 22. Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg