Photo: Jason Fong / Strathclyde Telegraph

Labour’s leadership contest begins after Keir Starmer’s resignation, with Burnham currently the only declared candidate as Westminster waits to see who will challenge him.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as Prime Minister, leaving many in the country questioning the future of the British Government as a leadership election is triggered.

At around 9:30am, on Monday, June 22nd, Sir Keir Starmer announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Labour Party and his position as Prime Minister, in a speech given outside his residence at 10 Downing Street.

There will be no general election following his resignation, meaning the future of the country is in the hands of the Labour Government. Or, as it looks so far, maybe just one Member of Parliament.

Following the current Prime Minister’s speech, focus quickly turned to the newly elected Labour MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham. Burnham is so far the only MP to announce he will be running in the leadership election, which is set to be between the 9th and 16th of July, giving candidates the time to gather party support.

For MPs to have the opportunity to vote on a new leader, at least one MP other than Burnham will have to pass these two rules: get nominated by 81 Labour MPs and 32 of Labour’s local branches or three associated Labour organisations. In the event of Burnham continuing to be the only man standing for election come July, he will automatically replace Starmer as the leader of the country.

So, what would this mean for Britain? With many issues facing the country, the cost-of-living crisis hitting most people the hardest, many are left wondering what Burnham has planned, should he come to power. In response to the ever-rising cost of living, Burnham suggests bringing back public ownership as a solution, as well as bringing back essential industries and bringing down bills.

Other Burnham policies include tackling youth unemployment with guaranteed work opportunities, rolling out free bus travel for teens in England, not increasing national insurance and income tax, although his stance on immigration has yet to be outlined.

Despite there being no official timetable released from the morning of Starmer’s 3-week-notice to the middle of July, it’s looking increasingly likely that the Makerfield MP will be the next person to enter the revolving door of Number 10. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds told the BBC she believes anyone who wants challenges Burnham won’t even gain enough support to do so.

However, other Labour MPs, such as Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, have stressed that a leadership contest is the only way to democratically test, then elect, a new leader, rather than Burnham automatically gaining power.

The Prime Minister’s departure follows month-long calls from the opposition, the public, and even MPs of his own party to step down. Reasons for these calls include Starmer’s appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, before Mandelson’s fraternising with convicted paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in the recently released Epstein Files. Additionally, losing 1,200 English local council seats in the May local

Council elections across the country were a devastating blow for Labour, resulting in over 90 Labour MPs admitting it was time for Starmer to give up his position.

Burnham’s victory also contributed to the fall of Keir Starmer, with many saying it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. As Burnham had previously only been Mayor of Greater Manchester while being a stand-out figure in saying Starmer should call it quits, this election was essential for him to win in order to become an MP and stand in a leadership contest.

Of course, the future of the country is still uncertain, and anything could change between now and mid-July, such as another MP gaining enough support to trigger a real leadership competition. Though right now, it looks likely that Larry the Downing Street cat will be welcoming Andy Burnham as the seventh Prime Minister he has seen in his 15-year residence at Number 10. And no matter how many more PM’s the Government decide to run through in quick succession, at least we can have confidence that Larry isn’t going anywhere.

Mia Gray

19🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Studying JMC & Politics in year 2