UK: King Charles asks Andy Burnham to form next government after Starmer resignation

LONDON — King Charles III accepted Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation and invited Labour politician Andy Burnham to form a new government, Buckingham Palace said. The palace confirmed that the King formally commissioned Burnham to take on the constitutional duties of the office. With the appointment, Burnham becomes the seventh person to lead the country within a decade. No further details about the timing of the swearing-in or cabinet appointments were immediately available. Speaking after taking on the role, Burnham said his government would reorganise its priorities and focus on issues that directly affect citizens' daily lives. He listed tackling the cost of living crisis, improving public services and accelerating economic growth as the top items on his agenda.