Andy Burnham is set to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after securing 349 nominations from Labour MPs, far exceeding the 81 needed to stand. The nominations window for MPs closed at 6pm on Wednesday, July 15, with Burnham receiving an additional 27 nominations on Monday, July 13, making it impossible for any other candidate to compete.
Affiliate Nominations and Final Steps
Candidates must also secure support from three Labour affiliates, including at least two trade unions. Burnham is understood to already have the backing of at least eight of the 11 unions affiliated to Labour. The affiliate nominations opened immediately after the MP nominations closed and will run for 24 hours, ending at 6pm on Thursday, July 16.
After the affiliate nominations close, Labour will confirm the results at a special conference on Friday, July 17. At that point, Burnham will be declared the new Labour leader. However, he will not become Prime Minister until Sir Keir Starmer formally resigns, which is expected on Monday, July 20. Starmer will hand his resignation to the King, who will then invite Burnham to form a government.
Burnham's Return to Parliament
Burnham's return to Parliament came after former Makerfield MP Josh Simons stood aside to allow Burnham to run in his place. Simons said he was vacating his seat so the Greater Manchester mayor could 'return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for'. The by-election was triggered after Labour lost council seats across Greater Manchester to Reform UK and the Green Party on May 7, leaving councils such as Bolton, Tameside, and Oldham under no overall control.
Earlier, Burnham had been blocked by the NEC from running as a candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election. But after winning the Makerfield seat, he quickly made his leadership intentions known and secured enough nominations to become the next PM.
Key Supporters and Conventions
Extra nominations during the final days included those from communities secretary Steve Reed, a key ally of Sir Keir Starmer. Reed was the only Cabinet member not to nominate Burnham last week. Shabana Mahmood and Anna Turley did not nominate anyone due to their roles chairing Labour’s national executive committee and the party, respectively. Others who nominated Burnham included junior ministers Sir Chris Bryant and Mike Tapp, former minister Jess Phillips, and Richard Burgon, secretary of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs. Sir Keir, as outgoing leader, also by convention did not participate in the nominations.
Timeline for the Transition
The final steps are set: affiliate nominations close at 6pm on Thursday, July 16. Labour will announce the results at a special conference on Friday, July 17. Burnham will then become Prime Minister on Monday, July 20, after Starmer formally resigns and the King invites Burnham to form a government.
