Wes Streeting has said he will back Andy Burnham to become the next Labour leader, making it highly likely that Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, will replace Keir Starmer as prime minister in July.
In a post on X, Burnham, who will be sworn in as an MP later on Monday after winning last week’s Makerfield byelection, said Starmer’s announcement on Monday that he would stand down as prime minister “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way”, adding: “I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
Minutes later Streeting, the former health secretary who resigned from Starmer’s government last month, posted on X that he had been told Burnham hoped to build “an inclusive party”, and that he would not fight for the leadership.
It comes after Starmer gave in to mounting pressure from his MPs and ministers and said he was setting out a swift timetable to step down, less than two years after he won a landslide general election victory.
Starmer said he would ask Labour’s ruling national executive committee to set out a timetable for a contest with nominations opening on 9 July. If there was a contest involving a vote of Labour members, this would be completed over the parliamentary summer recess, with Starmer staying in post until then.
But with Streeting deciding not to run, Burnham could stand unchallenged, and thus take over around the time the Commons begins the recess on 16 July.
It is possible that another minister might enter the fray, and some Labour MPs believe a contest would help to challenge Burnham on his ideas and plans. But many others believe a coronation will minimise the disruption and sense of chaos ahead of the instalment of the UK’s seventh prime minister in 10 years.
In his statement, Burnham thanked Starmer for his “leadership and dedication during such a challenging period”.
He continued: “The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.
“As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.
“The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.”
Streeting had promised several times to challenge for the leadership, even if there was some doubt about whether he had the 81 MPs needed – 20% of the parliamentary party – to do this.
Also praising Starmer in his statement, Streeting said Burnham’s win in Makerfield was “a victory for unity and hope over division and hatred”.
Saying he quit the government “because we were losing the fight to nationalists in every corner of the country”, Streeting said he had spent subsequent weeks devising plans to change the country.
He went on: “Having spoken at length with Andy in recent days, I’m convinced that there is a place for those ideas under his leadership; that he is committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions; and that he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism.
“We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs. That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.”
