Arabic version: برنهام يتولى المنصب وترامب يشيد بخطة بحر الشمال
According to Cnbc, Andy Burnham became the U.K.’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday after King Charles III formally asked him to form a government at Buckingham Palace. Burnham, the Member of Parliament for Makerfield, succeeds Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned as Labour Party leader and prime minister.
In his first speech as premier, Burnham said he would make the moment a “circuit breaker for Britain,” with a new political and economic model. He said his government would put life’s essentials under stronger public control to make them affordable and would use public procurement to support British industry.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Burnham’s plan to fast-track oil and gas exploration in already-licensed North Sea fields. In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump called North Sea oil “invaluable” and said it could take the U.K. from a “Poverty Stricken Disaster” to one of the world’s richest countries. The U.K. is projected to grow by 0.8% in 2026, following growth of 1.3% in 2025 and 1% in 2024.
High energy costs have increased pressure on policymakers to raise North Sea output while Britain continues pursuing net-zero carbon goals. Independent estimates collated by the U.K. Parliament project that new drilling and favorable conditions could lift domestic production to 7.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
Markets had previously reacted nervously to the prospect of Burnham replacing Starmer. Mike Bell of RBC BlueBay Asset Management said markets would be relieved if Burnham selected Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as chancellor rather than Ed Miliband. ING economist James Smith said Burnham’s arrival in Downing Street had been met with “little more than a shrug,” while concerns remained about the fiscal outlook further ahead.
