World leaders congratulate Andy Burnham as he becomes Britain’s PM

Beyond the diplomatic platitudes global media focuses on the ‘immense’ scale of the challenge he faces in the job

• https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jul/21/andy-burnham-pm-labour-energy-bills-cost-of-living-cabinet-latest-news-updates">UK politics live – latest updates

World leaders have warmly congratulated Andy Burnham on his entry into 10 Downing Street as Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, but international media largely focused on the scale of the challenges awaiting him.

Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/2079188762463277323">said he hoped for a deeper relationship “in the service of our peoples, and by giving new momentum to the partnership between the UK and the EU” rekindled by Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer.