Key facts
- Andy Burnham is expected to become the next leader of the Labour Party.
- Nominations for the leadership contest have opened.
- Burnham has secured overwhelming support from Labour lawmakers, with 322 out of 403 MPs nominating him.
- Former Defence Minister Al Carns has ruled himself out of the contest.
- Burnham is expected to be formally anointed as Labour leader next Friday and named prime minister on July 20.
- Keir Starmer resigned last month following poor local election results.
Nominations have opened for the Labour Party's leadership contest to replace Keir Starmer, with former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham widely expected to be the sole candidate. Burnham confirmed his self-nomination via social media, stating "It’s all starting to feel very real." He has received nominations from 322 out of the 403 Labour members of parliament on the first day of nominations, leaving him one short of ensuring he can be the only candidate. Some Labour members of parliament stated they were unable to vote on Thursday but will back Burnham upon their return to parliament on Monday. Other potential contenders, including former Defence Minister Al Carns, have withdrawn from the race, with Carns stating that "months of internal Labour politics isn’t what the country needs right now" and offering Burnham his full backing. Starmer announced his resignation last month after two years in office marked by missteps, following a poor performance in local elections in May. Burnham is expected to be formally anointed as Labour leader next Friday and will officially be named as prime minister on July 20.