Andy Burnham has consolidated his position as the frontrunner to become the next leader of the UK Labour Party and the country's next Prime Minister. With 322 of the party’s 403 MPs backing him, he needs just one more nomination to make any rival candidacy mathematically impossible. The nomination deadline is next Thursday, and Labour is expected to formally declare Burnham as leader on Friday. If all proceeds as planned, he will be sworn in as Prime Minister on 20 July.

The leadership contest follows Keir Starmer’s resignation after Labour’s poor performance in May’s local elections. Burnham, the former Manchester mayor who recently returned to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, has pledged to decentralize power and promote regional economic growth. Former junior defence minister Al Cairns has withdrawn from the race, further clearing Burnham’s path.

Burnham has also proposed creating a new “Number 10” unit in Manchester to strengthen local governance in housing and transport, and has promised to bring water and energy sectors under public control. He expressed regret over Labour’s earlier stance on the Gaza war and vowed to increase long-term investment in defence.