politics
Andy Burnham Secures 322 Labour MP Nominations, Al Carns Withdraws
Andy Burnham secured the support of 322 of 403 Labour members of Parliament on the day nominations opened for the party leadership. The total far exceeds the 81 required to stand, leaving little room for a rival challenge before nominations close July 16.
Jul 9, 5:15 PM·2m read11 sources
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Andy Burnham secured the backing of 322 of the 403 Labour members of Parliament on Thursday, the day nominations opened for the contest to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The total exceeds the 81 nominations required to run and makes a contested ballot almost impossible. Lawmakers lined up throughout the day at a Labour office inside the Parliament building to sign nomination papers.
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In a separate video he confirmed he had nominated himself. Nominations remain open until July 16. Burnham is expected to be declared Labour leader the next day and to become prime minister after a meeting with King Charles III on July 20.
Former Defense Minister Al Carns, who had considered running, announced Wednesday that he would not stand. “I’d hoped a leadership contest would give us the opportunity for a proper debate,” Carns said. “But months of internal Labour politics isn’t what the country needs right now.
We’ve got to get on with the job. ” Starmer announced last month that he would resign once a successor was chosen. He had led the party to a landslide victory in July 2024 but stepped down after two years marked by declining support.
Burnham returned to Parliament last month by winning a special election. He previously served almost a decade as mayor of Greater Manchester. Writing in The Times of London on Thursday, he pledged that Britain would remain a firm ally of the United States and a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Burnham also said Labour “didn’t get it right” at the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. He condemned the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. He added that the British government had been “too slow to call for a ceasefire” in the conflict that has left 73,110 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
