Andy Burnham, the newly elected MP for Makerfield, is all but certain to become Britain’s next prime minister after Sir Keir Starmer resigned on Monday and his main rival, Wes Streeting, threw his support behind the former Greater Manchester mayor.
Starmer’s announcement that he would stand down as prime minister came less than two years after his landslide general election victory, amid mounting pressure from his own MPs. By the time Burnham was sworn into Parliament on Monday afternoon, Labour MPs were already crowding around him for selfies. A glum-looking chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was pushed to the background.
“Andy Burnham is set to become prime minister after Starmer resigned and Wes Streeting backed him.”
Burnham declared on X that Starmer’s resignation “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way”, adding: “I will put myself forward as part of this process.” Minutes later, Streeting – the former health secretary who resigned last month – posted that he had been told Burnham hoped to build “an inclusive party”, and that he would not fight for the leadership.
It is the third time Burnham has tried to lead his party. He ran in 2010 and 2015, losing both times. This time, with Streeting out of the race and no obvious challenger, he could be crowned unopposed. Under Starmer’s proposed timetable, nominations open on 9 July; if there is no contest, Burnham could take over around the start of the parliamentary summer recess on 16 July.
Burnham’s path to Downing Street was cleared on Friday morning when he won the Makerfield by-election with a majority of more than 9,000 votes over Reform UK, increasing Labour’s share from 45% to almost 55%. In his victory speech, he promised voters they would not be a “stepping stone” but a “touchstone”, vowing there would be a “Makerfield test at the heart of British politics” to ensure “the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness”.
The son of a BT engineer and a GP receptionist, Burnham was born in Liverpool in 1970 and grew up in Culcheth, Cheshire. He joined the Labour Party at 14, inspired by the BBC drama ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’. He studied English at Cambridge, worked as a journalist for trade magazines, then as a researcher for the late Tessa Jowell. He later served as a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith before being elected MP for Leigh in 2001. Under Gordon Brown he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary and Health Secretary. In 2017 he became the first Mayor of Greater Manchester, a role he left to return to Westminster.
Although a Remainer, Burnham chose not to revisit the Brexit debate during the by-election in a constituency that voted Leave by two to one. His victory has fuelled speculation among pro-European campaigners, but Burnham has made no commitment to rejoin the EU.
The new prime minister-in-waiting now faces the challenge of translating his ‘Makerfield test’ into national policy. Critics point to his lack of foreign policy experience, but Burnham’s allies argue that the problems he campaigned on – neglected towns, a broken economy – are exactly what government must fix. Within weeks, the country may see whether the ‘King of the North’ can indeed rule from No 10.