Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister in days as nobody challenges him
Andy Burnham is almost guaranteed to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after securing overwhelming support from Labour MPs to be the party's new leader. The former Greater Manchester Mayor was the only declared candidate in the leadership race to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned last month.
On Thursday, the first day nominations opened, 322 Labour MPs nominated Burnham to take over as leader. This overwhelming show of support means only 81 Labour MPs remain who could nominate another contender, which is the minimum needed to get on the ballot. Convention dictates that the outgoing leader does not nominate a candidate, meaning there are effectively no longer enough undeclared MPs to back an alternative.
Al Carns, previously regarded as a potential challenger, ruled himself out on Wednesday. The former armed forces minister said: "I'd hoped a leadership contest would give us the opportunity for a proper debate. But months of internal Labour politics isn't what the country needs right now." Former health secretary Wes Streeting also declined to stand.
In the absence of any other candidates, Burnham will be formally declared Labour leader at a special conference on July 17 and is expected to become Prime Minister on July 20. The Makerfield MP will still take part in an online hustings with Labour MPs on Monday evening even if he remains the only candidate in the running.
Burnham has set out his vision for his premiership, emphasising stability in foreign policy as he outlined his commitment to NATO, the nuclear deterrent, maintaining close ties with the United States, and support for Ukraine. Sir Keir Starmer's national security adviser Jonathan Powell will be kept on in the role.
On domestic policy, Burnham has signalled commitment to tightening immigration control. He claimed that small boat crossings are down 40 percent year-on-year but argued the government needs to go further. He has also called for greater consultation with local authorities on asylum dispersal, criticising the Home Office's reliance on deprived areas for housing asylum seekers.