Burnham on Brink of Becoming UK Prime Minister

Andy Burnham is on the brink of becoming the UK’s next prime minister unopposed after securing the backing of 80 percent of Labour Party lawmakers.Burnham said he had received nominations from 322 out of the 403 Labour members of parliament ​on the first day of nominations on Thursday, ​leaving him one short of ensuring he can ⁠be the only candidate to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Keir StarmerNo other candidate has put their name forward after the party united behind Burnham, who only just returned as an MP, following a June 18 by-election in the north-west of England.Burnham said in a post on X that he was “deeply grateful” for the support of his fellow Labour MPs, which he said “reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics.”Career politician Burnham has gone from being the mayor of Greater Manchester to leader-in-waiting in just a few weeks after the party moved against Starmer, effectively forcing his resignation on June 22.“It’s all starting to feel very real,” Burnham said in a video posted to social media, confirming that he had nominated himself.Some Labour MPs said they were not ​able to vote ​on Thursday ⁠but will back Burnham once they return to parliament on Monday.Likely Rivals Dropped OutOne by one, other lawmakers who had previously been mentioned as possible successors to Starmer ruled themselves out of contention.Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had previously said he would challenge Starmer, changed course and instead offered his backing to Burnham within hours of Starmer resigning. Streeting said he ​was convinced there was a place for his ideas ‌on “progressive ⁠capitalism” under Burnham.Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, once considered a possible challenger, also offered her support to Burnham before he won the Makerfield seat. On the left of the party, she could be brought back into government by Burnham, who is considered to be on the “soft left.”Contest ‘Not Best Use’ of TimeThe latest to rule himself out of a leadership contest was Al Carns, the former Armed Forces minister who resigned alongside former Defence Secretary John Healey after both said they could not support Starmer’s spending plans.Carns told Sky News on July 8 that he did not think a drawn-out leadership contest would be “the best use” of the party’s time.He added that Burnham had “done a good job in Manchester, he’s done a great job during COVID,” in reference to the former mayor’s record of demanding more localized decision-making over tiered lockdown restrictions.Former British Health Secretary Wes Streeting walks through the House of Commons to attend the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, on May 13, 2026. Toby Melville/APWhile nominations remain open until July 16, Burnham is highly likely to be announced as Labour’s new leader the following day. He will become prime minister only after the formality of King Charles III asking him to form a government, expected to happen on July 20.The UK’s parliamentary democracy allows the governing party to change leaders, and thus prime ministers, without the need for a general election. The country has had many leaders who have been appointed rather than elected, most recently when Rishi Sunak and, before him, Liz Truss became prime minister after the Conservative Party changed leader.Burnham called for a general election after Sunak succeeded Truss. The next national election does not have to be held until 2029, but can be called earlier by the prime minister.Burnham will not ​call an early national election should he ‌replace Starmer, his spokesperson said on ​June 2.Polls Show ‘Burnham Bounce’Labour won a large majority in a landslide election victory in July 2024, but has since seen its support plummet, alongside the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.A July 8 Electoral Calculus MRP poll projects that, if a general election were held now, it would result in 217 Labour MPs, with the Conservatives in second on 151 and Reform third on 127, leaving Labour short of an overall majority but as the largest party.Farage currently has his own obstacles to overcome, having just resigned as an MP from a seat he will run for again amid an investigation into an undeclared 5 million-pound ($6.7 million) donation he received.The Reform leader denies wrongdoing and has accused the British establishment of working to force him out of politics.Burnham has stood twice previously to be Labour leader, finishing fourth behind Ed Miliband in 2010 and coming second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015.He left national politics to run for the Manchester mayoralty in 2016, but has previous experience as a government minister, having served under former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The most senior role he held was as Brown’s health secretary from 2009 to 2010 after serving as secretary of state for culture, media, and sport.Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Makerfield, celebrates after his swearing-in at the Houses of Parliament in London on June 22, 2026. Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesMore ‘Pressure on Israeli Government’Burnham has indicated he will stick with the manifesto pledges that the Labour Party was elected on in 2024.On July 9, he said he wants to ​exert more pressure on the Israeli government over its ‌actions in Gaza.“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on ​the Israeli government. … But let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach,” he ​said in a video of a question-and-answer session that he shared on social media.He condemned the Oct.7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas as well as targeted attacks on the Jewish community in the UK.“We need to do more, which includes looking at further ⁠sanctions, ​both on those involved in the ​violence in Gaza but also looking at measures to ban trade in goods with ​illegal settlements,” Burnham said, adding that he fully supports restrictions to ”make sure that no British bombs or bullets” can be sold to arm the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza or the West Bank.The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.