Nominations opened Thursday in the Labour Party's election to replace Keir Starmer as Britain's prime minister, a contest where former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is anticipated to be the only candidate.
Burnham is currently collecting signatures from Labour lawmakers, requiring at least 80 to secure a spot on the ballot, a threshold he is expected to easily surpass. Potential rivals have announced they will not challenge him. Al Carns, a former Defense Minister who had considered running, stated late Wednesday that he would not enter the race.
"I'd hoped a leadership contest would give us the opportunity for a proper debate," Carns said in a statement. "But months of internal Labour politics isn't what the country needs right now. We've got to get on with the job. Andy Burnham's earned this and he's got my full backing."
Nominations will remain open until July 16. Burnham is likely to be formally announced as the new Labour leader the following day and could become prime minister after a meeting with King Charles III on July 20.
Starmer announced his intention to resign last month, shortly after his party selects a successor. He had been elected in a landslide in July 2024 but stepped down after two years marked by perceived missteps and judgment errors that diminished his standing within the party and with the public.
Burnham led the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for nearly a decade before returning to Parliament last month by winning a special election. He has pledged significant change, aiming to reverse nearly two decades of low economic growth since the 2008 financial crisis. His proposed approach, dubbed "Manchesterism," focuses on leveraging private and public funds for investments in areas such as transport, housing, and infrastructure.
However, Burnham is expected to confront many of the same challenges that Starmer faced, including a stagnant economy, strained public services, and a cost-of-living crisis. He has indicated continuity in foreign policy, writing in The Times of London that the government's "commitment to NATO and the U.K.'s nuclear deterrent will remain absolute." He also affirmed that Britain would continue to be a strong ally of the United States and a steadfast supporter of Ukraine.