Andy Burnham is set to become the next leader of the Labour Party after securing the necessary support from trade unions affiliated with the party. This backing from a majority of the 11 unions linked to Labour ensures he will be crowned leader without a party vote over the summer.
Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor and Makerfield MP, is slated to be unveiled as Sir Keir Starmer's successor on Friday. He is expected to enter Downing Street three days later. While Burnham had already cemented his status as the sole candidate with nominations from 349 Labour MPs, party rules stipulated he also needed endorsements from at least three of the 31 affiliated socialist societies and trade unions, including at least two unions.
The window for official nomination submissions opens this evening and will run for 24 hours. However, in advance of this period, a significant number of Labour's affiliated unions have confirmed their support.
Union endorsements for Burnham include ASLEF, Community, GMB, Unison, the Fire Brigades Union, Unite, and the shopworkers' union Usdaw. The TSSA transport union also confirmed its nomination. These endorsements collectively meet the requirements for Burnham to proceed as the sole candidate for party leadership.