---
title: "Andy Burnham on Course to Lead UK Labour as Leadership Nominations Open"
description: "Nominations opened in the contest to lead Britain's governing Labour Party, and Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is the clear frontrunner and may end up the only candidate. The race follows Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister; whoever wins is set to take the top job."
category: "Politics"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/politics
author: "Thomas Berger"
published: 2026-07-09T10:48:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-09T10:48:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/andy-burnham-on-course-to-lead-uk-labour-as-leadership-nominations-open
tags: ["united-kingdom", "labour-party", "andy-burnham", "keir-starmer", "politics"]
---
# Andy Burnham on Course to Lead UK Labour as Leadership Nominations Open

Nominations opened in the contest to lead Britain's governing Labour Party, and Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is the clear frontrunner and may end up the only candidate. The race follows Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister; whoever wins is set to take the top job.

Britain's governing Labour Party opened nominations on Thursday in the contest to choose a new leader, and Andy Burnham, the veteran Labour politician who ran Greater Manchester as its mayor, is the strong favorite, possibly the only candidate. Because Labour holds a large majority in Parliament, whoever leads the party is expected to become prime minister.

## Why there is a contest

The race was triggered by the resignation of Keir Starmer, who stepped down as prime minister earlier in the summer after a difficult set of local election results and unrest within his party. That opened a vacancy at the top of a party that had won a landslide general election in 2024, and set off a scramble that Burnham has, so far, dominated.

## A likely coronation

Under Labour's rules, a candidate needs nominations from a set share of the party's members of Parliament to get on the ballot, and Burnham is reported to have gathered support well beyond that threshold, [The Washington Post reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/09/andy-burnham-labour-leadership-election-nominations/). Potential rivals have stepped aside, among them the former health secretary Wes Streeting, who ruled himself out and backed Burnham. If no other candidate qualifies before nominations close, Burnham could be confirmed as leader without a members' vote, an outcome some in the party have criticized as a "coronation" that denies members a real choice, [PBS NewsHour reported](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/andy-burnham-prepares-for-a-uk-labour-leadership-contest-that-may-be-a-coronation).

## Who Burnham is

Burnham, in his mid-50s, has been a familiar figure in Labour politics for two decades. He served in cabinet under the Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, then left Parliament in 2017 to become the first elected mayor of Greater Manchester, a role in which he built a national profile, sometimes clashing with the central government on behalf of his region. He returned to Parliament through a by-election in order to run for the leadership. Supporters see his regional record and communication style as assets; critics question what his program would be in national office.

## What happens next

The nomination window runs for about a week. If it closes with Burnham unopposed, the party is expected to install him quickly; if a rival clears the bar, a longer contest among Labour's membership would follow. Either way, the outcome will determine who leads the country in the months ahead, at a moment crowded with challenges, from the economy to the fallout of overseas conflicts. For now, the contest is Burnham's to lose, but it is not formally settled, and the party's rules leave room, however narrow, for a surprise.

## Sources

- [Nominations open in the contest to be UK Labour leader, with Burnham likely the only candidate](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/09/andy-burnham-labour-leadership-election-nominations/)
- [Andy Burnham prepares for a Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/andy-burnham-prepares-for-a-uk-labour-leadership-contest-that-may-be-a-coronation)