India, July 17 -- Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the new leader of the UK's governing Labour Party and is set to become the country's next Prime Minister, replacing Keir Starmer after his resignation. Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and newly elected MP for Makerfield, is expected to formally assume office on Monday after being invited by King Charles III to form the next government.

In his first address as Labour leader, Burnham pledged to unite the party and focus on tackling the rising cost of living, boosting economic growth and shifting more power away from London to regional governments. He also promised to rebuild public trust in politics and prepare Labour for growing electoral competition from Nigel Farage's Reform ...