Andy Burnham secures Labour leadership with landslide support of 349 MPs — set to become Prime Minister next Monday

14 July 2026 | London, Westminster — Updated 16:30 GMT

Andy Burnham is to become Britain's next prime minister after winning the backing of 349 Labour MPs, including all eligible members of Keir Starmer's current cabinet, making it impossible for any rival to secure enough nominations to challenge him.

The new MP for Makerfield received an extra 27 nominations on Monday, taking his total from 322 last week to 349. With only 54 MPs yet to back him, including Starmer and Shabana Mahmood, who cannot nominate because of her role as national executive committee (NEC) chair, no other candidate can now reach the 81 nominations needed to enter the contest.

Burnham is now set to replace Starmer as Labour leader on Friday before walking through the doors of No 10 and becoming prime minister next Monday. He is using an online hustings with the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) to urge MPs to unite behind his leadership.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has urged Andy Burnham to arrive in Downing Street with a "worked through plan", saying the incoming prime minister will be tested quickly by a range of incoming "shocks and challenges".

Welcome to the latest from British politics — where a new Labour era is about to begin.

Burnham Secures Labour Leadership with Landslide Support

Andy Burnham is to become Britain's next prime minister after winning the backing of 349 Labour MPs, including all eligible members of Keir Starmer's current cabinet, making it impossible for any rival to secure enough nominations to challenge him.

The new MP for Makerfield received an extra 27 nominations on Monday, taking his total from 322 last week to 349. With only 54 MPs yet to back him, including Starmer and Shabana Mahmood, who cannot nominate because of her role as national executive committee (NEC) chair, no other candidate can now reach the 81 nominations needed to enter the contest.

Burnham is now set to replace Starmer as Labour leader on Friday before walking through the doors of No 10 and becoming prime minister next Monday. He is using an online hustings with the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) to urge MPs to unite behind his leadership.

Burnham Promises 'Broad Church' Cabinet and Devolution Focus

Burnham told the PLP on Monday night that he promised to build a "broad church" cabinet, as is the Labour movement's tradition. He said all appointments next week will reflect the idea that the party under his leadership will represent all wings of the party, reflecting "contribution, experience and commitment".

In a clear bid to reset relations between No 10 and Labour MPs, Burnham vowed to create a "team and culture where everyone is valued, seen and listened to". He told MPs he wants to be "accountable, visible and accessible" to establish a feedback loop running from the PLP into local communities and back to the leadership and cabinet ministers, which he said is essential for good policy-making and delivery.

Burnham said his administration will focus on delivering good growth in every postcode, devolving more power to communities and putting the cost of living at the front and centre of government. His focus on devolution and "the north" has left some Labour MPs anxious that only allies with constituencies in the north of England, or those linked to what some have described as the "blue Labour movement", will see immediate benefits from his leadership and policies.

He began the "hustings" by paying tribute to Ann Widdecombe, saying Labour's thoughts are with her family and friends, while urging politicians to give police "the resources and space they need" to investigate her death.

Starmer's Resignation Delayed Due to England's World Cup Run

Burnham also praised Starmer, who is in the final days of his premiership, for delivering the Hillsborough law, noting the prime minister kept the promise he made to the families of the 1989 disaster, before telling MPs that the country expects Labour to come together at a "significant moment" for Britain.

Meanwhile, the Guardian understands Starmer's formal resignation at Buckingham Palace, previously scheduled for early next Monday, has been pushed back to later in the morning due to England's World Cup run.

Starmer is expected to attend Sunday's final in New Jersey if England beat Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday, which would put the men's national team on the verge of a first major trophy since 1966. He is due to formally meet King Charles the following day. It will now take place more than two hours later than planned, regardless of England's fate, to accommodate a potential trip. The logistics of a transatlantic flight mean the original slot was deemed impractical.

Reeves: Burnham Must Have 'Worked-Through Plan' for No 10

Rachel Reeves has urged Andy Burnham to arrive in Downing Street with a "worked through plan", saying the incoming prime minister will be tested quickly by a range of incoming "shocks and challenges".

In what could be one of the first female chancellor's final major interviews while in No 11, Reeves said Burnham should remain focused on the priorities that first brought him into politics.

Burnham's bid to become Labour leader and prime minister has been backed by 322 of the party's 403 MPs, leaving him just one short of the number required to make it mathematically impossible for a rival to compete against him. If no one else enters the contest, he will expect to become Labour leader on 17 July and the prime minister the next working day – 20 July.

Speaking to BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Reeves said: "It is important that when Andy walks through that door he has a worked-through plan, because governing is hard in Britain, and lots of challenges and shocks will come his way."

Burnham's Vision: 'Biggest Rebalancing of Power Britain Has Ever Seen'

Burnham has already begun setting out his vision and blueprint to transform the UK, centred around the "biggest rebalancing of power Britain has ever seen", which includes a new No 10 North hub to oversee the distribution of power and resources from Whitehall across the country.

In a wide-ranging speech last month, he said he intended to "lift the country back up" and revive hope among voters who have become frustrated with politics. Burnham has hinted at an early package of cost of living support once he makes it into Downing Street, accepting that "people can't wait for ever for change".

Reeves admitted that Starmer and his government had lost the confidence of Labour MPs and the public because "people are impatient for change". "I'm impatient for change, and I totally get that people want to see their lives changed," she said.

Reeves: Burnham Will Inherit Stronger Economic Foundations

Burnham would inherit stronger economic foundations than she and Starmer did after 14 years of the Conservatives, she said: "Andy will take over an economy that is much stronger than the one I inherited from the Tories just two years ago."

She said she was "absolutely certain, if we could go back two years, there are choices that I made that would be different.

"But look at the big picture, look at the plan, look at the strategy that I have been pursuing, and that strategy was to return stability to the economy, to enable interest rates to come down.

"We are growing for the first time and seeing productivity growth in our economy at rates we haven't seen for a long while."

Reeves appeared to rebut a claim that the decision to take away the winter fuel allowance from millions of pensioners had caused problems within the party, and instead was eager to highlight the progress she believed the economy had made.

The latest ONS figures show families' disposable income is falling, and it is expected that by the end of this parliament, the country's debts will be higher than they were when Labour took power.

Haigh: Burnham Has Been Planning for This Moment for at Least a Year

The former transport secretary Louise Haigh said Burnham had been planning how he might succeed Starmer for at least a year. "He has been thinking about this and certainly planning for this, for this moment, for at least the last year," she told Radio 4's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson.

Haigh, one of Burnham's key allies and a leading figure of the soft left, said his route into No 10, and his decision to run for a third time to become Labour leader, only became crystal clear after the party's disastrous election results in May. She said it was obvious "it couldn't continue the way it was continuing".

Reeves said: "It's perfectly reasonable for people to have ambition … Andy has never shied away from the fact that he wanted to at some point lead the Labour party. And I want him to be ready for that."

Reeves Reflects on Lowest Moment: 'Don't Cry on National Television'

She said one of her lowest moments in office had been when she was seen crying during a session of prime minister's questions last year.

"Don't cry on national television," she said. "That was probably my toughest moment or perhaps even tougher, seeing photos of me crying on national television on the front page of pretty much every newspaper the following day."

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