The King of the North is the UK’s new Prime Minister
On 20 July 2026, Andy Burnham became the United Kingdom’s 59th Prime Minister, using his first address outside 10 Downing Street to promise a political and economic “circuit breaker” for Britain.
Prime Minister Burnham set out his ambition to move away from political point-scoring and towards a more collaborative, problem-solving approach to government. At the heart of his vision is a new ten-year plan for Britain, alongside immediate action to ease the cost-of-living pressures facing households and longer-term commitments on housing, mental health support and ending rough sleeping.
The new Prime Minister has also begun reshaping the machinery of government, including bringing together the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade.
This document introduces the key figures appointed to Prime Minister Burnham’s Cabinet and considers the experience, responsibilities and political relationships that will shape his new administration.
Prime Minister & Leader of the Labour Party
Andy Burnham MP for Makerfield, Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party
- MP for Makerfield since 18 June 2026.
- Previously the MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2017, when the boundaries were revised.
- Burnham has extensive government experience from the Blair and Brown administrations. He served in the Home Office and Department of Health before joining the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Secretary of State for Health.
- During Labour’s time in Opposition, he held several senior frontbench positions, including Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.
- Burnham contested the Labour Leadership Election both in 2010 and in 2015.
- More recently, Burnham was the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026.
HM Treasury
John Healey MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough since July 2024, having previously represented Wentworth and Dearne from 2010 to 2024 and Wentworth from 1997 to 2010.
- Held several ministerial roles under the previous Labour Government, including Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister of State for Housing.
- Served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 2020 to 2024 and Secretary of State for Defence from July 2024 to June 2026, before becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer in July 2026.
- On his appointment as Chancellor, Healey pledged to maintain economic stability while delivering the Prime Minister’s cost-of-living and public service priorities. His immediate challenges include balancing increased investment in areas such as defence, housing and health with maintaining control of the public finances and reassuring financial markets.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Ed Miliband MP for Doncaster North, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
- MP for Doncaster North since May 2005, having been re-elected under the revised constituency boundaries in July 2024.
- Previously served in government as Minister for the Cabinet Office and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, before leading the Labour Party and serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2010 to 2015.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Miliband served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero from July 2024 to July 2026. He was the central political voice for the Government’s net-zero ambitions, overseeing its push for clean power, the creation of Great British Energy and a more interventionist approach to energy policy, before being appointed Foreign Secretary by Andy Burnham.
- Miliband signalled that his priorities would include strengthening the UK’s relationships with international allies, maintaining support for Ukraine and rebuilding closer ties with the European Union.
Home Office
Shabana Mahmood MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Home Secretary
- MP for Birmingham Ladywood since May 2010, having been re-elected under the revised constituency boundaries in July 2024.
- Held several Opposition roles, including Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Business and the Treasury, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.
- Under Starmer’s Government, Mahmood served as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from July 2024 to September 2025, before becoming Home Secretary. She was retained in the role by Andy Burnham.
- Mahmood is expected to provide continuity at the Home Office and continue pursuing her tougher approach to immigration and border security. Her priorities are likely to include tackling small-boat crossings and people-smuggling networks, progressing reforms to asylum and settlement rules, and strengthening public confidence in the immigration system. She will also continue overseeing the Government’s work on policing, counterterrorism and serious crime, including reforms intended to make greater use of technology across law enforcement.
Cabinet Office
Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster & Minister for the Cabinet Office
- MP for Sheffield Heeley since May 2015, Haigh is associated with Labour’s soft left and has held a succession of frontbench roles, including Secretary of State for Transport.
- After departing from the frontbench in November 2024, Haigh has kept a high profile from the backbenches, reviving the soft-left-leaning Tribune group.
- Haigh has been a key ally of Andy Burnham throughout his bid to return to Westminster, and this role will place her at the heart of the new Prime Minister’s cabinet.
- Haigh will oversee the coordination and delivery of the Government’s agenda across No. 10 and the Cabinet Office, resolve disputes between departments and help drive faster decision-making across Whitehall.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Angela Rayner MP for Ashton-under-Lyme, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
- MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since May 2015, having held several senior Opposition roles, including Shadow Education Secretary and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister.
- Served as Labour’s deputy leader from 2020 to 2025 and was a prominent figure alongside Sir Keir Starmer throughout the party’s return to government, campaigning nationally and helping lead Labour’s 2024 general election campaign.
- Became Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary in July 2024, before resigning in September 2025 following the stamp duty controversy. She now returns to government as Housing Secretary after a period on the backbenches.
- Rayner will play a central role in delivering Burnham’s commitment to expand council housebuilding and end rough sleeping. She is expected to continue championing stronger workers’ and tenants’ rights, while overseeing reforms to the planning system, increasing the supply of affordable and social homes and strengthening collaboration between central government, councils and regional mayors.
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Miatta Fahnbulleh MP for Peckham, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
- MP for Peckham since July 2024. Fahnbulleh previously served in a range of policy and research roles across government and the think tank sector, including as Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, she held ministerial roles as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers and later Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities.
- Fahnbulleh served in Starmer’s government until May 2026, when she resigned from her ministerial role, calling on Starmer to set out a timetable for his resignation. Upon Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister, Fahnbulleh became Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
- Fahnbulleh will oversee the Government’s energy security and net-zero agenda, including efforts to reduce household bills, accelerate the expansion of clean power and strengthen domestic energy supply.
Department for Education
Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central, Secretary of State for Education
- MP for Manchester Central since 2012, having built a strong profile in Parliament through a range of frontbench roles covering areas including education, business and culture.
- Elected deputy leader of the Labour Party in 2025, giving her a prominent role in the party’s leadership and making her one of its most senior political figures.
- Under Keir Starmer’s premiership, Powell served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council until 2025, where she was responsible for managing the Government’s legislative programme and coordinating business in the House of Commons.
Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade
Jonathan Reynolds MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, Secretary of State for Business and Trade
- MP for Stalybridge and Hyde since May 2010, having been re-elected under the revised constituency boundaries in July 2024.
- Held several Opposition roles, including Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Reynolds served as Business and Trade Secretary from July 2024 to September 2025, before becoming Government Chief Whip.
- Seen as a pragmatic figure with strong relationships across business and the trade unions, Reynolds played a prominent role in the Government’s intervention to protect British Steel and now returns to lead a significantly expanded department at the heart of Burnham’s reindustrialisation and growth agenda.
Department for Health and Social Care
Yvette Cooper MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
- Elected to parliament in 1997 as the youngest member at the time, Yvette Cooper MP was previously the Foreign Secretary in Keir Starmer’s Cabinet, after serving as his Home Secretary.
- Cooper has significant experience in ministerial roles, most recently as the Foreign Secretary under Starmer. She served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health in 1999, where she worked on projects like the first NHS cancer plan and public health initiatives.
- In her opening statement as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, she expressed her desire to focus on issues such as maternity services and social care.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Lisa Nandy MP for Wigan, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- MP for Wigan since May 2010, having been re-elected under the revised constituency boundaries in July 2024.
- Held several Opposition roles, including Shadow Minister for Children and Young Families, Shadow Minister for Civil Society, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Shadow Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development.
- Starmer appointed Nandy as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in July 2024 and was retained in the role by Andy Burnham.
- At the Department, Nandy has overseen the establishment of the Independent Football Regulator and has focused on supporting growth in the creative industries, widening access to arts and culture and strengthening the contribution of sport, tourism and cultural institutions to communities and the economy.
Department for Work and Pensions
Pat McFadden MP for Wolverhampton South East, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- MP for Wolverhampton South East since May 2005.
- Held several ministerial roles under the Blair and Brown governments, before shadow ministerial roles in Opposition, including Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- Retaining his role as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, McFadden is expected to launch a renewed effort at welfare reform while continuing a focus on encouraging more young people and people with health conditions to get into work and off benefits.
Department for Transport
Heidi Alexander MP for Swindon South, Secretary of State for Transport
- MP for South Swindon since 2004, having served as an MP for Lewisham East from 2010-2018.
- Alexander resigned from Parliament in 2018 to become Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, where she served from 2018-2021.
- Alexander is one of a handful of Cabinet Ministers to have retained their role in the transition to the Burnham Government. She was previously the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Service under the Starmer Government.
- Alexander will continue overseeing the Government’s rail, road and wider transport agenda. Her priorities are expected to include bringing passenger rail services into public ownership, establishing Great British Railways, improving the reliability of the network and progressing major infrastructure projects.
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Dame Angela Eagle MP for Wallasey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- MP for Wallasey since 1992, making her one of the longest-serving members of the House of Commons.
- Held several senior Opposition roles during Labour’s years out of government, including Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.
- Under Keir Starmer’s premiership, Eagle returned to government, serving first as Security Minister before taking on the role of Farming Minister, bringing more than three decades of parliamentary and frontbench experience to the Cabinet team.
- Eagle is expected to focus on supporting farmers through changes to agricultural funding, strengthening the resilience of the UK’s food supply and improving trading conditions for British producers, while balancing these priorities with the Government’s environmental and nature-recovery commitments.
Ministry of Defence
Wes Streeting MP for Ilford North, Secretary of State for Defence
- MP for Ilford North since May 2015, having been re-elected in July 2024. Former Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council, with a background in education, campaigning and the voluntary sector.
- Held several Opposition roles, including Shadow Exchequer Secretary, Shadow Minister for Schools, Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty and Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
- Streeting served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from July 2024 until May 2026. Following his resignation, he was widely speculated to be considering a bid for the Labour leadership, but instead endorsed Andy Burnham. Following Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister, Streeting was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in July 2026.
- Streeting will oversee the UK’s armed forces, national security and defence partnerships at a time of heightened global instability and is expected to focus on delivering the Government’s plans to increase defence spending, strengthening support for Ukraine and ensuring the UK meets its commitments to NATO.
Ministry of Justice
Alex Norris MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley, Secretary of State for Justice
- MP for Nottingham North from June 2017, before being elected for the successor constituency of Nottingham North and Kimberley in July 2024.
- Held several Opposition roles, including shadow ministerial roles for Health and Social Care, Levelling Up and Communities, and Policing.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Norris served as a junior housing minister from July 2024 to September 2025 before becoming Minister for Border Security and Asylum in the Home Office.
- Norris is expected to focus on reducing court backlogs, tackling prison overcrowding and strengthening rehabilitation and probation services.
Wales Office
Stephen Kinnock MP for Aberafan Maesteg, Secretary of State for Wales
- MP since May 2015, initially representing Aberavon before being elected for the newly created Aberafan Maesteg constituency in July 2024.
- Held several Opposition frontbench roles under Keir Starmer, including Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, the Armed Forces and Immigration.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Kinnock served as Minister of State for Care from July 2024, before being appointed Secretary of State for Wales by Andy Burnham in July 2026.
- Kinnock is expected to focus on attracting investment, supporting Welsh industry and strengthening cooperation between Westminster and Cardiff.
Scotland Office
Douglas Alexander MP for Lothian East, Secretary of State for Scotland
- First elected to Parliament in 1997, representing Paisley South and later Paisley and Renfrewshire South until 2015, before returning as the MP for Lothian East in July 2024.
- Served in several senior roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland, Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for International Development, before becoming Shadow Foreign Secretary.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Alexander served as Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security and held an additional Cabinet Office role, before returning as Secretary of State for Scotland in September 2025. He was reappointed by Andy Burnham in July 2026.
- Alexander is expected to focus on representing Scottish interests, strengthening Scotland’s energy and industrial sectors and demonstrating the benefits of cooperation across the United Kingdom. His retention provides continuity ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and draws on his extensive previous experience in Cabinet, including an earlier period as Secretary under Tony Blair.
Northern Ireland Office
Chris Bryant MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- MP since June 2001, initially representing Rhondda before being elected for the newly created Rhondda and Ogmore constituency in July 2024.
- Previously served in Gordon Brown’s Government as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and a Foreign Office Minister, and later held Shadow Cabinet roles covering culture and the leadership of the House of Commons.
- Under Starmer’s premiership, Bryant served as Minister of State for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism and for Data Protection and Telecoms from July 2024, before becoming Minister of State for Trade in September 2025.
- Bryant is expected to focus on supporting the stability of the devolved institutions, strengthening the region’s economy and public services, and managing sensitive issues including security, legacy and the implementation of post-Brexit trading arrangements.
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