Andy Burnham is set to become Prime Minister on Monday, with Keir Starmer meeting the King to resign before Burnham is appointed. He will then make a speech outside Number 10. An Opinium poll shows Labour neck and neck with Reform, ending months of Reform leads. Labour MPs hope voters will blame Starmer and Rachel Reeves for recent disappointments, not the party itself.
Party in Turmoil Over Chancellor Appointment
Behind the scenes, the Labour Party is a mess. Old wounds from 2015 have reopened over who Burnham should appoint as Chancellor. Some want Ed Miliband, but others loathe him for Labour's 2015 election loss and allowing Jeremy Corbyn to replace him. Deputy Leader Lucy Powell blamed media speculation, telling the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: "There's been a lot of speculation in the media about various individuals, which has been really quite horrible." She insisted the party handled the transition well, but disagreements remain.
Burnham's Experience and Challenge
Burnham served as a Minister under Tony Blair and a Cabinet Minister under Gordon Brown, but that ended 16 years ago. Many voters know him only as Mayor of Manchester. He must explain in concrete terms how he will improve lives, or he could become as unpopular as Starmer. Jonathan Walker, Whitehall Editor, writes that Burnham has a short time to convince voters he's more than talk.
