Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has officially been declared Labour’s next leader and is set to be sworn in as Britain’s next prime minister next week.
Former prime minister Keir Starmer’s departure follows two years in office marked by missteps that eroded his standing with both the party and the public, capped by a dismal Labour performance in May’s local elections. Burnham, a former Cabinet minister who has led Greater Manchester since 2017, engineered his return to Parliament by winning a special election on June 19 with about 55% of the vote, explicitly to position himself for the leadership.
His path was cleared further on Monday when former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, previously considered his main rival, threw his support behind Burnham instead of running himself.
Because Britain’s parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders without a general election, Burnham could become prime minister without facing voters directly. Some Labour MPs are pushing for a full leadership contest with public debate rather than an uncontested handover. Burnham is expected to outline his economic plans in a speech next week.
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