UK PM Burnham reshuffles cabinet, holds calls with Trump

Andy Burnham delivers his inaugural speech. Source: Getty Images/Dan Kitwood

Andy Burnham is officially the British Prime Minister. He used his first hours in office for phone calls with high-ranking heads of government and a reshuffle of the cabinet. Several confidants of his predecessor no longer play a role.

A few hours after his appointment, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham reshuffled the cabinet. The 56-year-old, who was tasked with forming a government by King Charles III in the morning, surprisingly appointed former Defense Secretary John Healey as Finance Minister. Healey had left the cabinet in June in protest against the course of Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer.

The appointment as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" was "the greatest honor," said the experienced minister. "Together we will build a new economy, create new hope, and advance the interests of working people in this country."

The new Foreign Secretary is former Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, while the former head of the Foreign Office, Yvette Cooper, is now Health Secretary. Shabana Mahmood remains Home Secretary.

In the evening and during the night, further personnel decisions were announced:

• Wes Streeting – new Defense Secretary (formerly Health Secretary)
• Alex Norris – Ministry of Justice
• Angela Eagle – Ministry for the Environment
• Miatta Fahnbulleh – new Energy Secretary
• Angela Rayner – new Housing Secretary
• Jonathan Reynolds – Business Secretary
• Lucy Powell – Education Secretary
• Anneliese Midgley – Leader of the Labour Party parliamentary group
• Lisa Nandy – remains Culture Secretary

Wes Streeting (l.) becomes new Defense Secretary. Source: AFP/HENRY NICHOLLS

Streeting was briefly considered a rival to Burnham for the party leadership but withdrew from the race after Burnham entered parliament.

Several confidants of Starmer, on the other hand, will no longer play a major role under the new head of government, including former Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy and former Finance Minister Rachel Reeves. "I would have been proud to continue serving in the cabinet. But a new prime minister has the right to assemble his own team," Lammy told the PA news agency.

Phone Call with Trump, Invitation to Berlin from Merz

One of the first official acts of the new premier was a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Under Starmer, the relationship between Downing Street and the White House had noticeably cooled, primarily due to Trump. The Prime Minister expressed hope "to be able to show the President what Manchester has to offer during a future visit," a spokesperson said, referring to Burnham's previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester. Trump was last received for a state visit by King Charles III in September 2025.

When outlining his vision as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Burnham stated "that his focus will be on the reindustrialization of the entire country," the Downing Street statement said. Furthermore, Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to defense and security. Ensuring the security of the United Kingdom and its allies is the top priority on his political agenda, Trump was reportedly told.

Burnham also spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) congratulated Burnham at midday. "The United Kingdom and Germany are close allies and partners," Merz wrote. "Especially in these times, our deep connection proves itself. I would very much like to exchange views with you on the challenges ahead and therefore cordially invite you to visit Berlin soon."