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Burnham sworn in as MP and enters Labour leadership race with a clear path to No 10

Burnham could be left without serious challengers, which would speed up the process: each contender needs the backing of 20% of Labour lawmakers to run.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was sworn in on Monday as MP for Makerfield and formally launched his candidacy to lead the Labour Party and, by extension, the British government, hours after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation. The backing of his most likely rival, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, cleared his path and consolidated him as the favorite to succeed Starmer.

Streeting, who had resigned from the government last month and maintained that he would run in any contest, confirmed that he will support Burnham. In a statement, he said he was convinced the former mayor “can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism” and that he would build “an inclusive party.” With his main rival out of the race, Burnham could be left without serious challengers, which would speed up the process: each contender needs the backing of 20% of Labour lawmakers to run.

Starmer, who announced his resignation outside Downing Street in an emotional speech, will remain as caretaker prime minister until a successor is chosen. Nominations will open on July 9, and the new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns in September at the latest, or sooner if there is no contest. If elected, Burnham would have to resign as mayor of Greater Manchester, a post he has held since 2017, triggering an early election for that office.

One of the open debates is the possibility of calling an early general election, which is not required until 2029. Burnham dismissed that option, considering it “too early,” while former Home Secretary Alan Johnson urged him to “be brave” and go to the polls to “restore trust in politics.” The succession also divided the rest of the political spectrum: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey criticized the rapid turnover of prime ministers, while figures from Reform UK said Labour was “imploding.”

Burnham, 56, is a figure with a long career. An MP between 2001 and 2017 and a former Health and Culture Secretary, he left Westminster to become mayor of Greater Manchester, a post to which he was re-elected twice and which earned him national prominence. His supporters highlight his governing experience and electoral appeal, while his critics question what they describe as ideological flexibility between the party's different currents. His ascent to the leadership, if confirmed, would mark the seventh change of prime minister in the United Kingdom in a decade.