# Andy Burnham sworn in as UK’s seventh PM in ten years

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/andy-burnham-becomes-britains-seventh-prime-minister-in-a-decade-amid-economic-and-preparedness-concerns/
- Published: 2026-07-20T08:15:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-20T14:32:22+00:00
- Topics: Americas, Art, Asia, Business, Celebrity, Cricket, Culture, Elections, Entertainment, Europe, Football, Government, Markets, Middle East, Music, Politics, Sport, UK, World

## Key points

- Andy Burnham sworn in as UK's seventh PM in ten years
- Ed Miliband appointed Chancellor; North Sea oil and gas expansion authorised
- Markets wary; concerns raised over handover planning and inheritance tax row

## Summary

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.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Next please! Andy Burnham will become Britain’s seventh PM in a decade TODAY – as jittery markets wait to see if ‘Red’ Ed Miliband gets No11](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15990005/Andy-Burnham-PM-decade-markets-Red-Ed-Miliband-Starmer-Cabinet.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [Daily Mail: Burnham urged to scrap inheritance tax raid on family firms](https://www.dailymail.com/money/markets/article-15985569/Burnham-urged-scrap-inheritance-tax-raid-family-firms.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [Daily Mail: DAN HODGES: The Burnham era begins today – but the reality is he’s not yet ready for power. There’s no grid of announcements for his first month. An ally admitted: ‘We haven’t even got anyone to fill it in yet.’](https://www.dailymail.com/debate/article-15989021/DAN-HODGES-Burnham-era-begins-today.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.