Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney promised to work constructively with Andy Burnham where he can - especially on reducing the cost of living - and said he expected to speak to him tonight.

He said the Scottish government will be a “willing partner” in discussions about transferring more powers from Westminster to Scotland.

The SNP wants Holyrood to have a say on immigration, employment and energy. It’s not clear that any of that is on offer.

Instead, Burnham has stressed his desire to devolve power beyond the Scottish Parliament, deeper down into cities and local communities.

While that could be a source of tension, the two governments definitely disagree on another independence referendum.

Swinney wants to have one. Burnham has told Scottish Labour MPs he will maintain the UK government’s opposition.

Downing Street has also made the following cabinet appointments:

• Alex Norris, former border security and asylum minister, is named lord chancellor and justice secretary
• Angela Eagle has been promoted to cabinet from security minister to environment, food and rural affairs secretary
• Miatta Fahnbulleh, the former communities minister who quit Starmer's government after the May local elections, has been appointed energy security and net zero secretary

Wes Streeting has been named defence secretary by Andy Burnham, Downing Street has announced.

The former health secretary resigned in May after stating he had lost confidence in Keir Starmer's leadership.

Elliw Gwawr
BBC Wales political correspondent

Image source, Welsh government

Wales' first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth says he hopes having a new prime minister will be "an opportunity for a reset" in the relationship between the two governments.

He said that Keir Starmer didn't take "much interest in devolution, much interest in Wales" but that he was hopeful the relationship with Andy Burnham would be better as he has a background "of understanding and appreciating the value of devolution to Manchester".

Reflecting on the change in the Secretary of State for Wales, ap Iorwerth says it has to be "someone who respects and wants to see devolution work".

Alison Holt
Social affairs editor

Burnham’s first pledge as PM is that he will end rough sleeping.

Homelessness and housing policies are devolved, meaning this will either only apply to England, or he will have to work with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to meet his goal.

In England, the number of rough sleepers has reached record levels - the latest official figures show 4,793 people were found sleeping rough on one night in autumn of 2025.

When Burnham became Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, he pledged to end the need for rough sleeping in the area by 2020 - a target he failed to achieve.

Even during the pandemic, with the national policy that everyone should have somewhere to stay, some people remained on the streets across England.

A lack of affordable housing and the rise in non-EU migrants have driven the increase in street homelessness, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), but other issues such as difficulty getting mental health or addiction support can also be factors.

It is an indication of how the success of the new PM’s promise to end rough sleeping will be tied up with the decisions he makes on other policies, such as housing, immigration and health care.

Vanessa Clarke
Senior education reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Before Lucy Powell was appointed education secretary, Burnham said he would "help more young people into work by changing the education system" in his first speech as PM.

Clearly he believes Powell is the right person to help him do that.

In previous speeches, Burnham has said that every young person should leave school with a clear pathway into university, training or work.

This reflects a growing concern over the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, which now stands at more than one million.

But there are also other challenges ahead.

Among them are controversial changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England, and there is uncertainty over whether teachers will accept the latest pay offer, with a ballot planned for the autumn.

Both issues were mentioned by teaching unions today as they welcomed Burnham into office.

Image source, Getty Images

Angela Rayner has said she is "delighted" to be returning to the role of housing secretary, which she previously held in Keir Starmer's government.

"Andy Burnham's vision of good growth in every postcode demands we build on the foundations we have already laid to bring the change we have promised," she writes on social media.

"I look forward to returning to government with renewed drive and determination to put power back in people’s hands - and hope back in our hearts."

• For context: Rayner resigned as both deputy prime minister and housing secretary in September 2025 after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove - with the matter settled with HMRC in May of this year

Image source, Getty Images

Lisa Nandy has been reappointed culture secretary by Andy Burnham, No 10 has announced.

It's a role she had held since Labour's 2024 election win.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

New health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper says on social media she is looking forward to "working urgently to improve maternity services, to take forward plans for social care, and to once again play a part in supporting our National Health Service".

"Most of all I'm looking forward to working with the dedicated NHS staff, carers, healthcare professionals and volunteers on whom we all depend," she says.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump are among the world leaders Andy Burnham has spoken to on his first day as prime minister.

Burnham spoke to Zelensky earlier this afternoon, according to Downing Street, which says he reaffirmed his and "the UK's resolute commitment to the people of Ukraine".

A spokesperson adds that Burnham has invited Zelensky to the UK at "the earliest possible opportunity".

Burnham then spoke to Macron this evening, setting out how he'd continue "building on the strong UK-France relationship", according to Downing Street, which says the pair discussed support for Ukraine, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and co-operation on energy and defence.

Earlier, No 10 reported that Burnham had told Trump that he hopes to show him "what Manchester has to offer" in a future visit.

Andy Burnham has been unveiling his new cabinet - here's the latest:

Who's in:

• John Healey returns to the cabinet as chancellor
• Ed Miliband stays in cabinet as foreign secretary
• Shabana Mahmood remains home secretary
• Angela Rayner returns to her former role of housing secretary
• Louise Haigh becomes chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, first secretary of state and Cabinet Office minister

• Pat McFadden keeps his job as work and pensions secretary
• Yvette Cooper is appointed health secretary

• Jonathan Reynolds is named business secretary
• Lucy Powell returns to cabinet as education secretary
• Bridget Phillipson remains minister for women and equalities, but loses education brief
• Anneliese Midgley is appointed chief whip and will be a member of the cabinet

See the latest cabinet appointments here.

The following cabinet roles have just been announced by No 10:

• Jonathan Reynolds,former chief whip, is the new business secretary

• Bridget Phillipson remains a full member of cabinet as minister for women and equalities, but loses her role as education secretary
• Lucy Powell,deputy leader of the party, becomes education secretary
• Anneliese Midgley,who has not previously held a ministerial role, isappointed chief whip and will be a member of cabinet

Downing Street also says it has merged the Department of Science and Innovation with the Department of Business and Trade.

Image source, Reuters

Angela Rayner has been appointed housing secretary in Andy Burnham's cabinet, a role she previously held in Keir Starmer's government.

She resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary in September 2025.

Image source, PA Media

Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, has been spotted making his way into No 10.

Streeting resigned as health secretary on 14 May, stating that he had lost confidence in Starmer's leadership.

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

In his first comments as Chancellor, John Healey has told broadcasters that he will work "in lockstep" with the new PM “to meet the fiscal rules with a buffer against uncertainty”, and making life more affordable.

The chancellor, as defence secretary, was a month ago one of the acute spending pressures, demanding that 3% of UK GDP be spent on defence by 2030.

He is now in charge of the coffers. It is not just that now, but funding new policies on youth jobs, social care, infrastructure and regeneration.

He did not answer in detail about whether he is still pursuing that defence spending target, but said "fiscal control is the first duty of any chancellor" and "we will meet our commitments on defence to our international allies".

The chancellor also praised his predecessor Rachel Reeves, with whom he clashed just last month.

John Healey says it's an "honour" to be appointed chancellor, and that he and the prime minister are in "lockstep to meet the fiscal rules".

"The prime minister and I have talked about how we will work in lockstep to meet the fiscal rules with a buffer against uncertainty, and how we'll make life more affordable for working people right across the UK," he says.

Speaking to broadcasters, the newly appointed chancellor says: "Fiscal control is the first duty of any chancellor - it is mine - and fiscal credibility is the bedrock... for economic stability and for national security.

"You heard the prime minister this afternoon say, in this more dangerous world, we will meet our commitments on defence to our international allies."

Healey says he has known Burnham for a long time, and that "we share the values, we share the vision, and we will start together now - prime minister and chancellor - to build that new hope and to build that new economy and that will start tomorrow".

For context: The fiscal rules are commitments made by the government, the main ones limit how much the government can borrow to fund day-to-day public spending and compel the government to ensure that debt as a share of national income is falling by the end of the Parliament, expected in 2029.

Rob Watson
BBC political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Andy Burnham's most striking decision is not to make Ed Miliband chancellor but instead to appoint him foreign secretary.

It suggests Burnham is keen to reassure the bond markets, which had been worried Miliband would have been keen to borrow and spend even more than is currently the case.

But Burnham clearly hopes the appointment of such a senior politician as foreign secretary will allow him to focus on domestic policy.

On that front he is suggesting nothing less than remaking British politics and economics over the next 10 years, a bold promise given the failure of his six most recent predecessors to deliver change and renewal.

It's been a day of big shake ups as Andy Burnham unveils his top team for government. Here's where things stand so far.

Who's in:

• John Healey returns to the cabinet as chancellor
• Ed Miliband stays in cabinet as foreign secretary
• Shabana Mahmood remains home secretary
• Louise Haigh becomes chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, first secretary of state and Cabinet Office minister

• Pat McFadden keeps his job as work and pensions secretary
• Yvette Cooper is appointed health secretary

Who's out:

• Rachel Reeves is out as chancellor
• Steve Reed lost his role as housing secretary
• Liz Kendall will no longer be science and technology secretary
• Peter Kyle was sacked as business secretary
• Jo Stevens stepped down as Welsh secretary
• Darren Jones was sacked as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Hilary Benn is out as Northern Ireland secretary
• David Lammy leaves government as justice secretary
• James Murray lost his jobas health secretary
• Lord Hermer will no longer be attorney general

You can follow the latest announcements in our news story.

Image source, Reuters

Pat McFadden, who has been confirmed as the work and pensions secretary, says he is honoured to stay in the role.

"As the Prime Minister said, our mission as a government must be to support people into work and spread opportunity," he says on social media. "That's how we'll reform the welfare system in a way that is fair & sustainable."

Image source, PA Media

Earlier, it was announced John Healey would return to Downing Street, this time as chancellor.

Across the political spectrum, MPs have been weighing in on the former defence secretary's new post.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch offers congratulations, adding: "He can now ensure the Defence Investment Plan is properly funded. Conservatives will work with him to cut benefits so we can fund defence.

"Because we can’t have higher taxes or even more borrowing."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says Healey has seen up close "the need to rebuild our Armed Forces after years of Conservative cuts and Starmer dithering".

In a post on X, he says that as chancellor, Healey should take up the Lib Dem's plans "for Defence Bonds to invest £20 billion in our sovereign capability".