Andy Burnham has formally entered the race to succeed Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the Labour leader announced his resignation in an emotional address outside Downing Street.
Burnham, who was sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield just hours after Starmer’s announcement, confirmed he would seek the Labour leadership, setting the stage for a potentially swift transition at the top of government.
However, the contest may already be tilting heavily in Burnham’s favour after former Health Secretary Wes Streeting abandoned plans to stand and instead pledged his full support to the former Greater Manchester mayor.
Streeting said Burnham had demonstrated his ability to reconnect with voters, pointing to Labour’s success in Makerfield after the party suffered setbacks in local elections earlier this year.
“If Labour changes, we can still win,” Streeting said. “I think Andy is the person to lead us to do that.”
He dismissed suggestions that his endorsement had been secured in exchange for a future government role, insisting discussions with Burnham had focused on ideas rather than positions.
Starmer announced earlier that he would remain prime minister until a successor is chosen, a process he said should be completed by the time Parliament returns in September. He added that the timetable could be accelerated if Labour unites behind a single candidate.
In an emotional farewell statement, Starmer thanked his wife and family and said he wanted to focus on being “the best dad” he could be to his children.
The political upheaval immediately triggered calls from opposition parties for a fresh general election.
Nigel Farage argued that the country should be allowed to choose its next prime minister directly rather than having a new leader selected internally by Labour.
Describing developments in Westminster as “Italian-style farce politics”, Farage said the next prime minister would not have received a direct mandate from voters.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised the uncertainty created by the leadership transition, warning that important decisions facing the country could not be delayed.
She said national security must remain the government’s top priority regardless of who ultimately succeeds Starmer.
Meanwhile, Wales’ First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth wished Starmer well but called on the incoming Labour leader to establish a stronger relationship with devolved governments.
He expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of engagement between Westminster and Cardiff and said Wales needed greater respect, fairer funding and more powers.
Labour figures in Wales offered a more positive assessment of Starmer’s tenure, with interim Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates crediting him with rebuilding the party and delivering a historic election victory.
As Burnham arrived in London, he reiterated his admiration for Starmer’s leadership while confirming his intention to seek the top job.
He described leaving Greater Manchester as an emotional moment and said he hoped he was leaving the region in a stronger position than when he took office.
International reaction also followed Starmer’s resignation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the outgoing prime minister for his support during Ukraine’s war with Russia, praising the cooperation between the two countries.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that Britain’s approach to Russia was unlikely to change significantly regardless of who becomes Labour leader.
With Burnham now emerging as the overwhelming favourite and major Labour figures rallying behind him, attention is turning to whether any serious challenger will enter the race or whether Labour will quickly unite around a single candidate.
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