Just hours after Keir Starmer delivered an emotional speech from 10 Downing Street to announce his resignation from the British Prime Minister’s Office on Monday, his main opponent, Labor leader Andy Burnham, was officially sworn in as Makerfield’s new deputy in the House of Commons. He is also now on track to become the next UK Prime Minister, and reports suggest he could take office as early as July.
Burnham, who previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester, won the by-election in Makerfield by 9,000 votes last week.
Burnham’s name has been a key part of speculation about Starmer’s exit, hype that has been building for weeks. After Keir Starmer announced his decision to step down, Labor veteran Burnham confirmed that he would seek to take over the position of Prime Minister.
Throwing his hat in the ring, the 56-year-old called for an “orderly and responsible” move to the Downing Street office.
Read also | A new shift in power in the United Kingdom with the Labor Party shifting to Andy Burnham, and Keir Starmer exiting
In a post on the website
Burnham said the administration’s priority is to work together to get the country back to where “we all want it to be.”
He added, “Political change should never distract from the responsibility of improving people’s lives.”
Earlier this month, Burnham told a BBC program that he would seek to represent the people of the UK at the “highest possible level” if he had their support. “I had to convince members of the Parliamentary Labor Party,” he said.
Timetable for September, but Burnham could become prime minister in July
From 10 Downing Street, Keir Starmer said nominations for his successor would open on July 9, and any competition for the top job would end at the end of Parliament’s summer recess on September 1.
Until then, Starmer will remain in his role as caretaker prime minister and will “ensure an orderly handover of power” to his successor.
Starmer’s exit and challenge to a leader from within his own Labor Party for prime minister is a stark reflection of the political instability in the UK.
Read also | Why did Keir Starmer resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? 5 points for leaving
This is not the first time Andy Burnham has sought to lead the party. He has lost the battle twice already – once in 2010 to Ed Miliband, then in 2015 to Jeremy Corbyn.
Burnham joined Parliament in 2001 and served in senior ministerial positions under former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
In 2017, he left Parliament to run for Mayor of Greater Manchester, where he won three elections in a row. Andy Burnham’s strong stance towards the region earned him the nickname “King of the North”, a reference to the popular TV series “Game of Thrones”.
According to Burnham, his challenge to Starmer is “one last chance to change” Labour.
While many have applauded Andy Burnham’s entry into the prime ministerial contest, leaders such as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson have issued a warning. The former Conservative Prime Minister said: “The clock is ticking, the honeymoon won’t last long. Some asteroids will hit you, like Covid.”
As of now, Burnham is the only name running to be the next Prime Minister. However, people who believe Starmer was wrongly excluded, and those who believe Labor would have been a better successor, could still make it difficult for the party to move forward unitedly.
Read also | Keir Starmer, who ended 14-year Conservative rule in the UK, resigns as Prime Minister: all about him
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that discussions among those close to Andy Burnham witnessed some disagreements about how quickly he would move to Downing Street.
Although Burnham’s team prefers to hand over power in September, he may move to Downing Street on July 16 in the absence of further competition.
The BBC, citing a source, reported that Burnham’s team is not “quite ready” for change, and Labor may try to keep Keir Starmer in office until the fall, even if there is no further contest.
A source was quoted as saying, “The timetable is the timetable. We have no choice. He will become prime minister in July if he is the only candidate.”
While the leadership contest is decided by Labour’s national executive committee, it may also come down to Starmer himself if there is no other competition.
