Andy Burnham has taken over at Downing Street following Sir Keir Starmer's exit as prime minister, with Starmer, Rachel Reeves and other loyalists sacked in the reshuffle reportedly in line for payoffs of around £200,000 as part of severance arrangements. Burnham is said to be assembling a "Cabinet for the North", signalling a shift in the government's geographic and political focus, though the change of leadership has already triggered turbulence within Labour ranks.

Reports suggest Burnham faced a mutiny among Labour MPs on his very first day in No 10, with a sacked Starmer loyalist accusing him of lacking the funds to deliver a promised 5% VAT cut on energy bills. Louise Haigh, described as a convicted fraudster, has taken on a prominent enforcer-style role in the new administration, while commentators including Nadine Dorries have predicted Burnham could be out of office by May. Starmer, meanwhile, was pictured at a pub with Reeves shortly after leaving Downing Street.