Andy Burnham is set to become Britain’s next prime minister after running to lead the Labour Party unopposed following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer.
The fast-paced sequence of events will see the former Manchester mayor in office just under a month after Sir Keir announced his intention to stand down.
Mr Burnham first had to become a Labour MP – and then the party leader – to move into Number 10. But with all other potential challengers stepping aside for the veteran politician, his path was surprisingly clear.
Labour MPs were invited to nominate their new leader between 9 and 16 July. By close of the contest, Mr Burnham had received 379 out of 403 nominations (94 per cent) – making it mathematically impossible for any other challenger to receive the required 20 per cent to stand against him.
This means the timeline for Mr Burnham to become prime minister is much shorter than anticipated.
Here’s what happens next:
Friday 17 July – New Labour leader confirmed
On Friday, Mr Burnham will be officially confirmed as Labour leader in a special conference at around midday.
He is expected to say that he will be “unashamedly Labour” as leader and prime minister, and that his government will have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected” and the “conviction to argue for our plans”.
Britain took “a series of wrong turns in the 1980s”, he is expected to add, requiring the UK to take “a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years”.
Sir Keir spent his final day as Labour leader in Ukraine, where he met with President Vladimir Zelensky. Speaking to Sky News from the country, he said “I go with pride,” adding that he felt he had “saved the Labour Party” by making it electable again.
Monday 20 July – Burnham becomes prime minister
It will then be an interesting weekend for Mr Burnham, as he finds himself in the unique position of being leader of the country’s largest party, but not yet technically the prime minister.
On Monday, Sir Keir will meet with King Charles to formally offer his resignation as prime minister, likely at Buckingham Palace.
Mr Burnham will then meet the King shortly after, when the monarch will ask him to form a government.
After this, the former Manchester mayor will likely travel to Number 10 to make a speech marking the beginning of his government.
The highly-anticipated cabinet reshuffle should also be revealed on this day, as Mr Burnham confirms his top team to help deliver his ambitious political vision.
How did we get here?
It has been a whirlwind chain of events that has seen Sir Keir toppled to make way for the ‘King of the North’. Here’s a rundown of what has happened so far:
May 7 – Labour’s disastrous local elections
Voters go to the polls across England. Labour suffers massive losses, losing control of 38 councils to surging Reform UK and Green support.
This devastating night triggers a Labour leadership crisis, with four junior ministers resigning, followed by former health secretary Wes Streeting.
May 14 – A Westminster opening
Josh Simons resigns his Makerfield seat in Parliament specifically to trigger a by-election, clearing the path for Burnham to attempt a return to Westminster.
June 18 – Burnham wins in Makerfield
Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election with a massive majority of over 9,000 votes, officially ending his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester and returning to the House of Commons.
June 22 – Starmer announces resignation
Citing a lack of confidence from his MPs, Sir Keir announces his intention to resign as Labour leader and prime minister, triggering the leadership contest.
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