Andy Burnham will give his first speech as Labour leader on Friday, promising to be "unashamedly Labour" and to "fix the big things." He takes over as prime minister from Sir Keir Starmer next week. The Guardian ITV News

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce Burnham as the new Labour leader at the party conference. Mahmood chairs Labour's national executive committee, which runs the party's internal affairs. Burnham used to be the mayor of Greater Manchester, a job that earned him the nickname "King of the North." BBC News Reuters

The change comes after a difficult time for the party. Starmer resigned as Labour leader last month. He said he accepted he was not the right person to lead the party into the next general election. Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections in May, and Burnham won a by-election (a vote to fill a single empty parliamentary seat) in Makerfield, in the North West of England. After that, many Labour MPs called for Starmer to step aside. Other people who might have wanted the top job said they would not run against Burnham. That meant he became the next prime minister without a contest. BBC News

Starmer spoke to Sky News during a visit to Ukraine on Thursday. He said he wanted an "orderly transition" and had built a "sound foundation" for Burnham. Starmer said he will support his successor and offer advice privately. BBC News

In his speech on Friday, Burnham will talk about devolution — handing more power from the central government in London to local and regional bodies. He will commit to being a leader for every nation and region of the UK. He will say the economy needs "a new path to the one we've been on for the last 40 years." BBC News

Burnham will promise a "distinctively Labour" programme. That includes more public control of utilities like water, and reindustrialisation, which means rebuilding Britain's manufacturing industries, especially in areas that lost factory jobs in past decades. He will say Labour will be more united under his leadership and more open to working with other parties on long-term problems. Burnham will also thank Starmer for winning the 2024 general election, and point to NHS improvements and investment in public services as things the Labour government achieved. BBC News

Steve Rotherham, mayor of the Liverpool City Region and a close ally of Burnham, said anyone who thinks Burnham's government will be the same as before is "absolutely deluded." BBC News

Not everyone in the parliamentary party has been happy. Graham Stringer was one of 24 Labour MPs who did not nominate Burnham as leader. He said a "whole series of major policies are still a mystery." Labour Party leadership nominations opened with Burnham as the clear frontrunner, the Associated Press reported. By July 10, so many Labour MPs had backed him that he was on the brink of becoming Britain's next prime minister. Associated Press Reuters BBC News

Burnham's journey back to Parliament began last month when he won the by-election in Makerfield. The Associated Press, reporting from Ashton-in-Makerfield, said Burnham won the special election for a seat in Parliament. Sky News reported from the home ground of Ashton FC, where Burnham gave a victory speech as the new MP for Makerfield. BBC News Associated Press Sky News

Since becoming an MP, Burnham has given interviews to LBC radio and Gary Lineker, and hosted an online question-and-answer session on Reddit. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham during the Reddit session to "come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny." BBC News

Burnham gave some details about his plans for office in a speech in Manchester earlier this month, ITV News Granada reported on June 19. In that speech, reported by Reuters on June 29, he vowed to "rip up politics as usual." BBC News ITV News Granada Reuters

Burnham is not expected to announce his cabinet — the team of senior ministers who run government departments — until Monday, when he takes office. Several reports suggest Shabana Mahmood could be his choice for chancellor, the minister in charge of the nation's money and taxes. The BBC was told there are "live discussions" about this. BBC News

The broader context here is that Labour has been behind Reform UK in opinion polls for almost 18 months, according to the BBC. Burnham's rise through a northern by-election, rather than the usual route of climbing the ranks inside Parliament, is an attempt to change that picture. His focus on devolution and treating all four nations of the UK equally is a deliberate move away from the tendency of recent governments, Labour and Conservative, to keep power concentrated in London. His promise to bring utilities like water under public control and rebuild industry puts him to the economic left of the outgoing Starmer government. His willingness to work with other parties suggests he knows the numbers in Parliament may leave him no choice. BBC News

For those watching Westminster closely, the big questions are who Burnham picks for his cabinet and whether his promises on devolution turn into real laws. The 24 MPs who did not back him could become a source of trouble. Badenoch's demand for more scrutiny is likely to be a recurring theme from the Conservative side. The coming week will set the tone: Friday's speech, the party conference announcement, and Monday's cabinet appointments.