Andy Burnham will become UK prime minister after a meeting with King Charles III

LONDON (AP) — The moment for Andy Burnham has finally come.

After weeks as U.K. prime minister-in-waiting, Burnham will take office on Monday, succeeding the departing Keir Starmer, and Britain’s political turbulence will give way, at least temporarily, to smooth choreography.

Burnham will become the seventh U.K. prime minister since 2016 in a now well-rehearsed handover after replacing Starmer as leader of the center-left governing Labour Party on Friday.

A spokesperson said Burnham will say in his first speech as prime minister he’s “acutely aware” of how many changes of leader the country has been through in the past decade, and will pledge to restore stability.

Starmer said much the same when he took office two years ago. Last month he announced he would resign after missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.

Burnham was the only candidate in a contest to become the party’s new leader, securing nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons.

On Monday morning Starmer will travel the mile from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace to formally tell King Charles III that he's resigning. Soon after, Burnham will go to the palace and Charles will ask him to form a government. He will officially become prime minister in a ceremony known as “kissing hands.”

The king’s role harkens back to a time when the monarch exercised supreme power and chose a prime minister to run the government. Today, the king has no political power, but the monarch still officially offers the job to the leader of the party that can command a majority in the House of Commons. No hand-kissing is involved.

Britain’s parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders, and thus prime ministers, without the need for a general election. The next national poll doesn’t have to be held until 2029, though Burnham can call one sooner if he wants.

Burnham will head from the palace to Downing Street, where it’s customary for new prime ministers to make a short speech outside the prime minister’s residence.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester has pledged to make politics “less toxic,” improve living standards across the country and “bring back the hope we have all been missing.”

“I will work to build a new politics,” he said after becoming Labour leader on Friday. “The country is crying out for it.”

Critics and supporters alike will soon be clamoring for details of how Burnham plans to fulfill his pledges.

“Fundamentally, it only will work if you can generate significant economic growth, because it’s the lack of growth that’s really holding the country back,” said Joshi Herrmann, who has followed Burnham’s career as founder of Manchester news site The Mill.

Attention will quickly turn to who Burnham will appoint to his Cabinet. He's expected to make changes to Starmer’s top team, especially to the biggest jobs of Treasury chief, foreign secretary and home secretary.

He said Friday that he hadn’t made a final decision about who to install in his Cabinet.

In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham praised Starmer’s achievements, saying he would “build on the foundation laid” by his predecessor.

Starmer became Labour leader in 2020 after the party’s worst-ever election loss, and led it to a landslide victory four years later. But he was soon defeated by the challenges of governing.

At his final Prime Minister’s Questions session in Parliament on Wednesday, Starmer defended his government’s record on the international stage — especially its support for Ukraine — and its domestic policy achievements. He mentioned stronger protections for working people, a reduction in child poverty, a law designed to stop official cover-ups after tragedies, and higher defense spending.

“I am proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it,” he said.

John Healey arrives for a cabinet meeting in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to staff and media at 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Staff clap as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham and wife Marie-France van Heel walk into 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to staff and media at 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to staff and media at 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

Britain's King Charles III welcomes Andy Burnham, left, during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government, Monday July 20, 2026. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria hug as they leave 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Britain's King Charles III welcomes outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London, Monday July 20, 2026. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, sits on the doorstep to No10 Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, sits on the doorstep to No10 Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A protester wears a face mask mocking Andy Burnham outside Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Reporters prepare in Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

A camera screen shows the No10 door in Downing Street as Labour Party leader Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s new prime minister, succeeding Keir Starmer in London, Monday, July 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

Andy Burnham after being confirmed as the Labour Party's new leader and the country's next prime minister, during 'Labour's Special Conference' in central London, Friday July 17, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)

BOSTON (AP) — Caleb Durbin hit a tiebreaking homer over the Green Monster with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Boston Red Sox extended the second-longest winning streak in club history to 14 games, beating Baltimore 6-5 on Monday night to snap the Orioles' season-best win streak at seven.

The Red Sox would match a club record with a win Tuesday night. Boston won 15 straight in 1946 on a team led by future Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, recalled from Triple-A four days ago, homered and hit a run-scoring single for the Orioles, who committed four errors and allowed two unearned runs.

Durbin connected on a one-strike cutter from Tyler Wells (2-2), setting off a celebration by teammates in front of Boston’s dugout.

Garrett Whitlock (5-1) worked a perfect eighth, and Aroldis Chapman picked up his 22nd save when Tyler O'Neill lined to short with runners on second and third to end it.

In a back-and-forth game, Baltimore took the lead for the third time in the seventh when O’Neill hit an RBI grounder that second baseman Anthony Seigler bobbled, ending a chance at an inning-ending double play.

Boston rallied in the bottom half, tying it at 5-all on Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-out RBI single.

Encarnacion-Strand homered over the Monster in the fifth, and Jeremiah Jackson and Encarnacion-Strand had RBI singles to make it 4-3 in the sixth.

Baltimore starter Shane Baz allowed four runs, two earned, with six strikeouts in six innings. Boston’s Payton Tolle gave up four runs and struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings.

RHP Kyle Bradish (6-8, 3.61 ERA) starts for the Orioles on Tuesday night, while the Red Sox will either bring LHP Ranger Suárez (4-3, 3.15) off the injured list or go with a bullpen game.

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Baltimore Orioles' Jeremiah Jackson watches his RBI single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Baltimore Orioles' Christian Encarnacion-Strand connects for an RBI single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox fans cheer after an RBI double by Ceddanne Rafaela during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox's Caleb Durbin celebrates after his home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)