As Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK prime minister, Andy Burnham is the frontrunner for succession to the coveted post. Starmer became the sixth UK PM in the last decade to have resigned before their term ended.
Starmer made the announcement of his resignation on Monday, ending days of uncertainty. He said it was time for a new chapter in leadership and pledged full support to his successor, expressing confidence in the party’s future and vowing to ensure a smooth and orderly transition of power. Track live updates on UK PM news
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Starmer sought to defend his record and leadership as speculation over his future intensified.
Who is Andy Burnham, ‘King in the north’?
Burnham is currently the mayor of Greater Manchester and is seen as Keir Starmer’s biggest rival in the Labour Party.
Also read: ‘I stand with you’: Rahul Gandhi’s wishes to CM Vijay add to birthday bonhomie amid Tamil Nadu alliance upheaval
Burnham’s position as Starmer’s rival is partly due to the 56-year-old being perceived as politically left-leaning, which has been a traditional Labour stance before Starmer came along and tried to position himself as centre-right to counter Reform UK’s growing popularity, a strategy that seems to have backfired spectacularly.
Also read: Keir Starmer resigns as UK PM soon? What may have led to his downfall – 5 points
Burnham is considered as Starmer’s biggest rival, one of the being that he’s perceived to be to the political left of the prime minister. He has earned the moniker “King of the North”, with reference to the popular Jon Snow character in “Game of Thrones”, given his fierce backing of northern England. He marked big wins in three mayoral polls since 2017.
How Andy Burnham posed challenge to Starmer?
Burnham’s thumping victory in a special election in Makerfield on Friday cleared the path for him to challenge the Prime Minister. The victory also reportedly triggered discussions between Starmer and his allies about whether he could win a challenge against Burnham or not.
Also read: US-Iran complete first round of talks. But Trump’s threat nearly threw them off course
The magnitude of Burnham’s win puts more pressure on Starmer as he comfortably defeated candidate Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and also Restore Britain, with around 10,000 more votes than both of these parties combined.
This has firmed the belief of Labour Party MPs that Burnham is the right candidate to take on Farage in the 2029 general elections.
