LONDON, U.K.: Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on July 20 that he clearly understood how uncertain his position was, as he became the seventh British leader in just over ten years. He also set out a broad but not very detailed plan to create a new political and economic system.

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham repeated his promise to give more power to local areas and reduce control from the center. He also promised to end the problem of homeless people sleeping on the streets. He said he wanted to bring a major reset to a system that he believed had gone in the wrong direction since the 1980s, when many public services were privatized.

Burnham said that his government would change politics to make it more cooperative and focused on solving problems rather than scoring political points. He added that power would be moved out of central government and given to communities across the country so that they could do more for themselves. He said this would help build a new economy where essential services would be brought back under stronger public control to make them more affordable for people.

After several weeks as the expected leader, Burnham officially became prime minister during a meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, where the king asked him to form a government.

He replaced Keir Starmer, who resigned just two years after winning a large election victory. The change in leadership came during a period of political instability in Britain, although the handover itself followed a smooth and familiar process.

Buckingham Palace released a photograph of the king and Burnham shaking hands. The ceremony, known as "kissing hands," marks the formal transfer of power, although it does not actually involve any kissing.

Burnham said he was very aware that many leaders had recently passed through 10 Downing Street in a short time.

He said this was a moment to reflect and to set new goals. He added that his generation of politicians needed to improve their performance and respond to new challenges. He said Britain needed to show the world that it could become stable again, and that the goal was to make politics work better for the country.

Burnham became the seventh prime minister of the United Kingdom since 2016, following a now familiar process of leadership change. He took over after becoming leader of the centre-left Labour Party on July 17. Starmer had announced the previous month that he would step down after a series of mistakes and poor decisions that reduced his support within the party and among the public.

Just over an hour before Burnham spoke, Starmer gave a short farewell speech outside the prime minister's residence, saying that his work was complete.

Starmer said that Britain was now stronger and fairer than it had been two years earlier, when he first took office.

He added that he was leaving his role calmly and with pride, saying he was proud of what his government had achieved. After this, he went to Buckingham Palace to formally offer his resignation to the king. The palace later said that the king had accepted his resignation.