An Associated Press article on PBS explains why Andy Burnham became Britain's prime minister without a general election: after Keir Starmer quit as Labour leader in June 2026, Burnham was the only candidate to win enough Labour lawmakers' backing and took over on July 20 as the country's 59th prime minister. The piece notes Labour's heavy May 2026 local election losses drove Starmer out, that four of the last six prime ministers also took office via party contests rather than public vote, and describes the decade as turbulent.