Seychelles President Herminie Congratulates New UK Prime Minister Burnham
📷 Photo: Patrick Herminie, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
VICTORIA, Seychelles — President Dr Patrick Herminie has sent a message of congratulations to Andy Burnham on his assumption of office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, taking office on Monday 20 July 2026 after being invited by King Charles III to form a government following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer.
The Seychelles head of state is one of dozens of leaders from across the Commonwealth, Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific who have reached out to Mr Burnham in the days since his appointment. The British BBC’s coverage of the new cabinet noted that Mr Burnham, the previous mayor of Greater Manchester, was confirmed as Labour leader on 17 July by the party’s Members of Parliament, having won a special election in Makerfield as the sole candidate in the leadership race. The Variety report on the transition confirmed that the Buckingham Palace ceremony, in which Sir Keir formally stepped down and the King invited Mr Burnham to form a new government, took place on 20 July.
Mr Burnham’s premiership has been greeted with a coordinated diplomatic effort. The Guardian’s live coverage of the political transition documented a long list of European and Indo-Pacific leaders rushing to send congratulatory messages, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, each emphasising a different facet of cooperation with the United Kingdom on trade, energy, defence and the rules-based international order.
In the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates also moved quickly. According to a statement from the Emirates News Agency (WAM) via ARN News Centre, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum both sent congratulatory messages to Mr Burnham on his appointment, with the UAE statement describing the United Kingdom as a long-standing partner of the Gulf state. Across South Asia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a public congratulations, with the Indian Press Information Bureau note emphasising the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the entry-into-force of the bilateral trade agreement CETA.
President Herminie’s outreach reflects the depth of the bilateral relationship between Seychelles and the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Victoria marked the country’s 50th anniversary of independence in June 2026 by publishing a roll of foreign messages, in which King Charles III underscored the United Kingdom’s commitment to its partnership with Seychelles, including the mutual commitment to democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance. The King also noted Seychelles’ status as a small island developing state and an important partner in promoting stability, openness and respect for international law.
Mr Burnham, who was the sole candidate in the Labour leadership contest, has begun building his cabinet. According to the Guardian’s live coverage of the political transition, the Prime Minister’s first day at 10 Downing Street included a major speech laying out a ten-year plan for the United Kingdom. The Wikipedia entry on the Premiership of Andy Burnham places the appointment in the broader political context of a decade in which Britain has cycled through six prime ministers and Labour’s mandate from its two-year-old landslide has eroded amid lingering economic malaise.
The Seychelles congratulatory message, expected to be published through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the coming days, is consistent with the country’s habit of reaching out to a new British premier through formal diplomatic channels. The Seychelles–United Kingdom relationship, grounded in shared Commonwealth history and the geopolitical weight of the British Indian Ocean Territory, has long been treated as a strategic priority by the government in Victoria, particularly in the maritime and ocean-governance spaces.
Sources cited: BBC — Who’s in Andy Burnham’s new Labour cabinet?; Variety — Andy Burnham becomes UK Prime Minister; The Guardian — Burnham’s first day live coverage; ARN News Centre — UAE leaders congratulate new UK PM Andy Burnham; Indian Press Information Bureau — Prime Minister congratulates Mr. Andy Burnham; MFA Seychelles — Foreign leaders congratulate Seychelles on 50th anniversary; Wikipedia — Premiership of Andy Burnham.
