Andy Burnham has been sworn in as a lawmaker in Parliament, following his victory in a special election last week in northern England that triggered Starmer’s decision to resign.
Loud cheers broke out among lawmakers in the House of Commons as Burnham returned to Parliament after nearly a decade as mayor of Greater Manchester.
Only members of Parliament are eligible for the party leadership. Earlier Monday, Wes Streeting, another prominent Labour politician with ambitions for the top job, said he would back Burnham. That made it much more likely that Burnham will become the U.K’s next prime minister without a leadership contest.
About 50 journalists and photographers were waiting to greet Burnham as he arrived at London’s Euston station by train from Manchester, ahead of being sworn in as a lawmaker at Westminster.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester told reporters his “priority” for the day was to officially swear in as an lawmaker.
“It’s been very kind of sad for me today to leave Greater Manchester. The people have been brilliant to me over the last few years. I’ve loved every minute of the role,” he said.
To join the contest, candidates must win the support of a fifth, or 81, of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers.
Those candidates who reach that threshold of support would then have to receive the backing of 5% of local constituency parties, or at least three party affiliates — groups such as trade unions and cooperative societies.
Eligible members of the party and affiliates would then vote for the leader using an electoral system that ranks the candidates. The winner is the first candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote.
King Charles III would then invite the winner to become prime minister and form a government.
Starmer said he would stay in post as prime minister until his successor is in place and that Labour’s national executive committee will open nominations on July 9.
Should Burnham be the only candidate, then he could be confirmed as party leader a week or so later. However, if there is a contest, then the election would likely drag on into September.
Burnham has won the support of Wes Streeting, who quit as health secretary last month and had previously indicated he would throw his hat in the ring. Streeting said he would back Burnham for the Labour leadership, saying “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism,” a reference to the anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, that has overtaken Labour in the opinion polls since the July 2024 general election.
Other potential candidates have yet to comment on Starmer’s announcement. They include Starmer’s former deputy, Angela Rayner, who resigned last September over an unpaid property tax, and Al Carns, who resigned last week as the armed forces minister over Starmer’s funding plans for national defense.