Burnham declares bid to succeed Starmer as UK prime minister

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has announced his intention to succeed Keir Starmer as the British Prime Minister.

Starmer said on Monday he would quit, paving the way for ​what is expected to be an orderly transfer of power to frontrunner Burnham, who could soon become Britain’s seventh leader in 10 years.

‌Starmer said he had listened to his governing Labour Party and realised that he was no longer the man who should lead it into a national election due in 2029.

However, Burnham, in a statement shared on X, paid tribute to Starmer’s leadership, describing his service to the UK as “huge” and thanking him for his dedication during a challenging period.

Burnham, 56, said Starmer’s decision to step down marks the beginning of an important transition that must be managed in an orderly and responsible manner.

He stressed that the country expects stability, seriousness and continued focus on key national priorities, adding that these expectations must be met throughout the transition.

He confirmed that he would be putting himself forward in any leadership contest, while calling for unity and cooperation across the Labour movement.

Burnham noted: “Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period.

“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.

“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”

UK PM Keir Starmer resigns

Burnham added that political change should not distract from the responsibility of improving people’s lives, saying the Labour movement has always been strongest when it is forward-looking, confident, and purposeful.

He pledged that the transition would be handled constructively, with a focus on stability and national progress.

Burnham said: “As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.

“The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.”

The threat to ⁠Starmer, which had been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when Burnham won a parliamentary election to return to Westminster, ​beating a candidate from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has led national opinion polls for more than a year.

That victory gave hope to Labour lawmakers that ​Burnham, a career politician known for his communication skills, could transform the fortunes of a party that has lost support under Starmer, whose popularity ratings have sunk to the lowest for any British leader.