Andy Burnham moved closer to becoming Britain’s next Labour leader and prime minister after 322 Labour MPs nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer, leaving him just one nomination short of making it mathematically impossible for a rival to enter the contest.
Burnham remains the only declared candidate after nominations opened on Thursday. If no other contender secures enough support, he is expected to be confirmed as Labour leader next week before taking office as prime minister on July 20.
The former Greater Manchester mayor said he was “deeply grateful” to Labour MPs who had backed him, saying the support came from across the party and reflected a shared desire for a new political direction.
“That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode,” Burnham said.
The scale of support leaves any potential challenger with little room to manoeuvre. Some MPs said they had not been able to vote on Thursday but were expected to back Burnham once they returned to Parliament.
Burnham’s rise follows Starmer’s decision to step down after mounting pressure inside Labour. Burnham, a former Greater Manchester mayor and two-time Labour leadership contender, returned to Westminster after winning the Makerfield by-election only weeks ago. His victory cleared the way for him to seek the leadership, and with most Labour MPs now behind him, he is on course to succeed Starmer without a full contest.
