Andy Burnham is poised to become Britain's next prime minister after winning overwhelming support from Labour MPs in the contest to succeed Keir Starmer as party leader.
According to the BBC, the former Greater Manchester mayor has secured nominations from 322 Labour MPs, making him the sole declared contender in the leadership race. He is only one nomination away from the 323 needed to ensure that no rival can mathematically enter the contest. Several MPs who were unable to cast their votes on Thursday have said they intend to back Burnham when Parliament returns.
If, as widely anticipated, no other candidate joins the race, Burnham is expected to be confirmed as Labour leader next week before assuming the office of prime minister on July 20. His elevation would make him Britain's seventh prime minister in the past decade, reflecting a prolonged period of political upheaval marked by frequent leadership changes in both the Conservative and Labour parties.
The leadership bid caps a dramatic political return for Burnham. His victory in the recent Makerfield by-election brought him back to the House of Commons after nearly 10 years away from Westminster. Under Labour's rules, only serving MPs are eligible to stand for the party leadership, making that by-election triumph essential to his leadership campaign.
Born in Liverpool, Burnham was first elected as the MP for Leigh in 2001. During the governments of former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he held several senior cabinet posts, including Culture Secretary and Health Secretary.
Since taking office as Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, Burnham has built a reputation as a leading advocate for increased investment in northern England, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, earning him the nickname "King of the North."
Burnham's emergence comes after the rapid downfall of Starmer's premiership. Fewer than two years after guiding Labour to a landslide general election victory, Starmer is leaving office as Britain's least popular prime minister on record following a succession of unpopular domestic policies, political controversies and mounting public dissatisfaction with the direction of his government.
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