The British ruling Labour Party officially opens today, July 9, the nomination procedure for a new party leader, who will automatically take over the post of Prime Minister of the country.
The change at the top in London was necessary after the current Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation after mounting internal party pressure and unsatisfactory results in the local elections. As of 5:10 Bulgarian time, the situation in Westminster seems to be clarified, with all signs pointing to a quick “coronation“ of a single main candidate.
Burnham was left without rivals in the race
The big news of the last few hours is that the last potential threat to the main favorite Andy Burnham is out. Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Al Karns officially told Sky News that he will not be participating in the race and will instead support Burnham. Before him, other key figures such as former health minister Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Raynor withdrew from the fight.
The former mayor of Manchester and current MP for Makerfield remains the only candidate to have announced his intention to participate. Political observers say Karns waited to learn the details of Burnham's economic plan for large-scale regional decentralization before giving his support.
What are the rules and timeline for the procedure?
The nomination period under the party's charter opens today and will continue until July 15.
- Support threshold: To be officially registered, each candidate needs the support of 20% of Labour MPs (or 81 out of 403 total MPs).
- Trade union support: Candidates must also be recognised by at least three associated organisations and trade unions (including major unions such as GMB, Unite or Unison).
- Hustings: A hustings is scheduled for July 13, where candidates will answer questions from MPs. If Burnham is left alone, he will practically conduct this interview alone.
When will Britain have its seventh prime minister in 10 years?
If no unexpected challenger emerges by the end of the nomination window, Andy Burnham could be declared Labour leader as early as Friday, July 17.
However, due to constitutional procedures, the actual assumption of power will be delayed by three days. The current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, must first formally tender his resignation to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The monarch is expected to invite Burnham to form a government on the first working day after the weekend – Monday, July 20.
If a last-minute opponent emerges, the election will be carried out among the broad party base during the summer recess of parliament, with the final result announced on August 29. At this time, such a scenario is considered unlikely.
The shadow of the World Cup
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer is finishing his last days at 10 Downing Street, being in Ankara for the NATO summit. On the sidelines of the forum, he confirmed to The Times that the government is considering declaring a state of emergency Bank Holiday on July 24th if the England national team wins the World Cup final on July 19th. Such a triumph would be a symbolic end to his term, just a day before he hands over the keys to power.