Andy Burnham is set to become the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade, taking office today amid nervous financial markets watching to see whether Ed Miliband will be appointed Chancellor, occupying No 11 Downing Street. The succession marks another rapid change of leadership in Westminster, continuing a pattern of political instability that has seen the top job change hands repeatedly over the past ten years, and it comes as investors weigh the implications of a more left-leaning Treasury team.

A Mail poll cited alongside the succession suggests Burnham faces an early legitimacy challenge, with voters in the South of England saying he does not speak for them. Beyond these headline details, the article provides limited further specifics on the handover process itself, with markets said to be reacting cautiously as they await confirmation of the incoming Cabinet's economic top team.