Andy Burnham became 7th British PM in a decade

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and new leader of the Labour Party, is taking the final steps to succeed Keir Starmer to become Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade.

Departing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a short farewell speech before going to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to King Charles III.

Outgoing British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER: "I'm about to visit His Majesty The King to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as prime minister, my work is done. In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024, since then it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as prime minister and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago. and I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve. I go with good grace, I go with a smile and I go proud of everything we have achieved, thank you very much."

The king will invite new Labour Party leader Andy Burnham to the palace and ask him to form a government.

Burnham will then address the nation for the first time as prime minister in front of the famous black door of 10 Downing Street.

Labour is hoping Burnham's arrival will signal an end to the rapid turnover of UK leaders.

He is the country's seventh prime minister since 2016.

Starmer had announced he was quitting as Labour leader on June 22 after barely two years in power ending a tenure marred by a series of political missteps, most notably his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a man with close ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain's ambassador to the US.

Heavy losses suffered by Labour in a midterm set of local elections in May prompted many lawmakers to demand Starmer's resignation.

Andy Burnham served in Labour governments two decades ago before leaving London in 2017 to run for mayor of Greater Manchester.

Burnham was a popular leader for the northwest England city, overseeing economic regeneration, improved public transport and growing cultural confidence.

The 56-year-old says he had "unfinished business" on the national stage and Starmer's troubles gave him the opportunity to return to Parliament after winning a special election.