The last potential obstacle to Andy Burnham becoming Labour leader and prime minister vanished on Tuesday as former defence minister Al Carns ruled out standing, saying a leadership contest would be “not the best use of Labour’s time”.
Carns told Sky News that after speaking with Burnham he had concluded the Makerfield MP would “make the right decisions and move the country forward”, urging the party to “get on board” with Burnham. “Internal blood letting” was not in Labour’s interests, he said.
“Al Carns rules out Labour leadership bid, clearing Andy Burnham's path to become PM.”
Burnham is now the only Labour MP to have declared a leadership bid since Sir Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister last month. Carns had earlier said he could not support Burnham without seeing more detail on his plan for government, but after Tuesday’s conversation he backed him.
The process to elect a new leader opens on Thursday, when the window for nominations begins. Candidates need 81 nominations from Labour MPs, or 20% of the parliamentary party. If Burnham secures 323 nominations, no one else can enter the contest, meaning he could be confirmed as leader by 17 July and take office as prime minister three days later.
Burnham returned to Westminster last month after winning a by-election in Makerfield, and Starmer resigned the same day. Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, had considered a bid but quickly backed Burnham. Carns himself resigned as defence minister over a row about military spending. He told Sky News presenter Cathy Newman that Burnham had “done a good job with Manchester” and handled Covid and the Manchester Arena attack effectively.
With his path now clear, Burnham is widely expected to become prime minister later this month.