Andy Burnham has been sworn in as Prime Minister, becoming the seventh person to hold the office in a decade and extending Westminster's pattern of rapid leadership turnover. His appointment was met with caution from financial markets, and questions were raised about his government's readiness, with reports suggesting insufficient preparation for the opening month following a shortened handover from his predecessor.

Burnham appointed Ed Miliband as Chancellor and moved quickly on energy policy, authorising an expansion of North Sea oil and gas extraction, a decision likely to draw scrutiny given wider debates over the UK's energy and climate direction. His administration also came under pressure from family business owners campaigning against inheritance tax changes, who warned the policy was deterring investment and threatening jobs across the sector, as the new government began setting out its early priorities.