Veteran politician Andy Burnham has moved significantly closer to becoming the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, following a strong show of support from his party. On Thursday, 322 Labour MPs nominated the 56-year-old to replace outgoing leader Keir Starmer. As of now, Burnham remains the only individual to publicly announce a bid for the leadership, with his primary potential challenger, Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, officially ruling himself out of the race late Wednesday. Carns had previously hoped for a contest to facilitate a proper party debate, but ultimately concluded that months of internal politics were not what the country needed at this juncture.
The nomination process is set to conclude on 16 July. Should Burnham reach 323 nominations, it will become mathematically impossible for any other candidate to secure the 81 signatures required to join the race from the total pool of 402 Labour MPs. Expressing his sentiment on social media shortly after the process began, Burnham stated, “It is all starting to feel very real.” In the event that no other challengers emerge, he is expected to be crowned Labour leader and Prime Minister-in-waiting at a special conference on 17 July. He would then meet King Charles before taking over at 10 Downing Street on 20 July, marking Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
Burnham, who gained the nickname “King of the North” after winning three consecutive Greater Manchester mayoral elections, has proposed establishing a “No. 10 North” to drive regional devolution. While he has pledged fiscal discipline and a reduction in the national welfare bill, he faces significant obstacles, including anaemic economic growth, a persistent cost-of-living crisis, and an unpredictable international landscape involving US President Donald Trump. Furthermore, he has suggested a potential shift in policy regarding Israel, telling the Guardian that the current government’s response to the war in Gaza has “not been good enough.”
The leadership vacancy follows Keir Starmer’s announcement on 22 June that he would resign after losing the support of his MPs. Starmer’s exit occurred shortly after Burnham successfully returned to parliament via a by-election. Since then, the party has shown strong unity behind him, with approximately 200 MPs previously gathering for a group photo in a display of support. Former health minister Wes Streeting has also dropped his own leadership ambitions to back Burnham. Some within the party view this transition as a necessary “roll of the dice” to regain ground from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has led in national polls for over a year, ahead of the general election expected in 2029.
"There's no one else," one Labour MP told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity after nominating Burnham.
"I hope he's a breath of fresh air," the lawmaker told AFP.
