Burnham poised to take power after Starmer's resignation

24.06.2026 12:02 HotInfo 20

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday his resignation as leader of the Labour Party and will remain in office as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen. The clear favourite is Andy Burnham, the new MP for Makerfield, who, after winning the by-election, became the leading contender for both the party leadership and the premiership. France24 ↗

Burnham returned to the House of Commons after nine years, winning almost 25,000 votes, roughly 55 percent. He defeated the Reform UK candidate, removing a key obstacle on his path to the national stage. Starmer and Burnham have already met for talks on the transfer of power, described as tense, though Starmer agreed to grant Burnham access to the civil service. Le Figaro ↗

A possible internal party contest is meanwhile narrowing. Darren Jones, whom some MPs had urged to run against Burnham, announced that he will not stand for the Labour leadership. According to new reports, he was reassured by a conversation with Burnham about his economic plans. Other Labour MPs, however, had been considering running in order to prevent him taking over without a formal contest. The Guardian ↗

Burnham is meanwhile assembling his team. He has chosen former minister from the Tony Blair era, James Purnell, as his chief of staff. Should he become Prime Minister, he is expected to replace Chancellor Rachel Reeves, offering her a lesser post in the cabinet. His economic adviser, Jim O'Neill, is pushing for higher infrastructure borrowing. irozhlas.cz ↗

Britain faces yet another political turn after years of instability. Burnham could become the seventh Prime Minister in ten years, with the new government inheriting economic troubles, strained relations with the EU, and an ongoing dispute over the direction of policy after Brexit. BBC News ↗