Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulates new UK prime minister Andy Burnham for appointment

Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulated Labour leader Andy Burnham on his appointment as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Monday, July 20. 

The Romanian official said he was confident that under Burnham's leadership, the United Kingdom would continue to actively contribute to strengthening peace, security and international cooperation.

"I am delighted to extend to Andy Burnham my warmest congratulations and best wishes on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I am confident that, under his leadership, the UK will continue to actively contribute to strengthening peace, security and international cooperation, and that we will further deepen Romanian-British collaboration bilaterally and within NATO, in the spirit of allied solidarity,” Dan said on X.

He also reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to its partnership with the United Kingdom. “The over one million Romanians living in the UK remain an essential bridge between our two societies,” he added.

The new leader of Britain's Labour Party, Andy Burnham, accompanied by his Dutch-born wife, Marie-France van Heel, was received by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace at midday on Monday. He was appointed prime minister and asked to form a government the same day. 

The former mayor of the Greater Manchester urban area, Andy Burnham, aged 56, gave his inaugural speech outside the government headquarters at 10 Downing Street. He promised a "ten-year plan" to restore the United Kingdom and said the country must "regain its stability." He also pledged to act "now to give people a little breathing space and help them cope with the cost of living," according to the BBC.

In the longer term, Burnham said the government would help more young people into work by changing the education system and providing them with more support, including greater mental health support. He also promised that more social housing would be built. 

Andy Burnham is already King Charles III's fourth prime minister since his accession to the throne in September 2022, and the seventh prime minister the kingdom has had in ten years. The country’s executive became more unstable following the Brexit vote in 2016, despite the 2024 change in power between the Labour Party and the Conservatives. 

The UK’s last prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation on June 22 after becoming unpopular in the country and facing strong opposition within his own party following ill-judged decisions, controversies and electoral defeats at the local level. 

The new prime minister, however, faces major challenges. Burnham must first unveil his cabinet and then address a long list of issues, from sluggish economic growth to the cost-of-living crisis and the poor performance of utility companies. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: presidency.ro and gov.uk) ...