Andy Burnham has effectively been confirmed as the new Labour leader with 349 of the party’s MPs nominating him, making it mathematically impossible for any rival to run against him. The MP for Makerfield is on track to become prime minister on 20 July, after a second day of nominations saw a further 27 MPs back him. He still requires the backing of three affiliated organisations, at least two of which must be trade unions, although this is expected to be a formality.
But even before entering Downing Street, the incoming premier is facing competing demands from industry and local government. The UK’s North Sea oil industry, through the lobby group Offshore Energies UK, has written to more than 400 Labour MPs urging Burnham to approve more drilling in UK waters. The letter, co-signed by more than 10 business groups and the GMB trade union, appeals to his reindustrialisation agenda, calling for “a commitment to UK manufacturing, industrial capability and the skilled workforce”. It argues the transition to a lower-carbon energy system would be “stronger and fairer” if built on an “all-energy approach” that builds on industrial strengths.
“Andy Burnham secures 349 MP nominations, set to become PM on July 20.”
Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs has told Burnham he should allow councils to increase council tax by as much as they want. The demand adds to the pressure on a leader who has so far offered limited policy details, having been accused by some within Labour of failing to set out specific plans for government.
Burnham’s rapid rise is extraordinary: he returned to Westminster only three weeks ago after a historic by-election win in Makerfield. He has twice before run for the Labour leadership, losing to Ed Miliband in 2010 and Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. This time he ran unopposed, and his route to No 10 will not require a vote among party members or trade union supporters. Sir Keir Starmer quit as Labour leader on the same day Burnham was sworn in as an MP, after heavy local election losses and Burnham’s by-election victory.
The 56-year-old left Westminster in 2017 to serve as mayor of Greater Manchester, elected three times. But his time away means he has limited relationships with MPs elected since 2017, who now make up the bulk of the Parliamentary Labour Party. He is expected to formally take the party reins at a special conference on Friday, then enter Downing Street on Monday 20 July.
What a Burnham premiership would mean for the North Sea remains unclear. Energy secretary Ed Miliband, who has described the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects as “climate vandalism”, is now reportedly willing to consent to Jackdaw, according to the Observer, to prove he could be a credible successor to Rachel Reeves as chancellor. The fate of those two major North Sea projects has remained in limbo since Labour came to power with its promise to ban new exploration licences.