Burnham set to become UK Labour leader as no rival emerges

Nominations opened on Thursday in the Labour Party leadership contest to replace Keir Starmer as Britain’s prime minister, with the race expected to feature only a single candidate.

Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham will seek nominations from Labour lawmakers and needs the backing of at least 80 MPs to enter the contest — a threshold he is expected to comfortably surpass.

Other potential contenders have ruled themselves out. Former Defence Minister Al Carns, who had been considering a challenge, confirmed late on Wednesday that he would not stand against Burnham.

“I’d hoped a leadership contest would give us the opportunity for a proper debate,” Carns said in a statement. “But months of internal Labour politics isn’t what the country needs right now. We’ve got to get on with the job. Andy Burnham’s earned this and he’s got my full backing.”

Nominations will remain open until July 16. Burnham is widely expected to be declared the new Labour leader the following day and become prime minister after a meeting with King Charles III on July 20.

Starmer announced last month that he would step down once his centre-left party selected a successor. He won a landslide election victory in July 2024 but resigned after two years in office marked by political setbacks and misjudgements that weakened his position among Labour members and the wider public.

Burnham spent nearly a decade leading Manchester in northwest England before returning to Parliament after winning a by-election last month. He has pledged sweeping changes, promising to reverse nearly two decades of weak economic growth since the 2008 financial crisis through an approach he calls “Manchesterism” — using public and private investment to develop transport, housing and infrastructure.

However, he will inherit many of the same challenges faced by Starmer, including a sluggish economy, strained public services and a persistent cost-of-living crisis.

Burnham has also promised continuity in foreign policy. Writing in The Times of London, he said the government’s “commitment to NATO and the UK’s nuclear deterrent will remain absolute”. He added that Britain would continue to be a close ally of the United States and a strong supporter of Ukraine.