‘Messiah’ without a mandate: As tearful Starmer departs, his assassin Andy Burnham arrives in Westminster in scenes of near-hysteria. But in Mail readers’ poll, 89% say he should call an election

Andy Burnham will be appointed Prime Minister in just three weeks, despite having the weakest mandate in British political history.

The self-styled ‘King in the North’ is set for his ‘coronation’ next month after Keir Starmer dramatically resigned less than two years after his landslide election victory.

But Daily Mail readers led the call for a snap election on Monday night, with 89 per cent of 60,000 online votes telling Mr Burnham to go to the polls.

Wes Streeting has rowed behind his rival, ending speculation of a serious race for the Labor crown.

Mr Burnham was given a hero’s welcome by Labor MPs in the House of Commons on Monday, but in a well-timed twist, a Conservative MP warned them: ‘He’s not the Messiah!’

On Monday night, the former Manchester mayor was trying to draw up a program for the government after Sir Keir set out a timetable that would see him appointed Prime Minister as early as July 17.

Opposition leaders questioned the right of a man supported by just 25,000 Makerfield voters (barely 0.05 percent, or one in 2,000) to govern.

Nigel Farage has called for an urgent general election, saying it was ‘absurd to claim that Andy Burnham has any meaningful authority to govern the country’. He added: ‘If Labor thinks they can push another professional politician into No 10, we’re on to something else.’

The self-styled ‘King in the North’, pictured after being sworn in at Parliament House, prepares for his ‘coronation’ next month

Kemi Badenoch says Labor will be ‘living in La La Land’ if the party thinks a change of leader will save it.

He said Sir Keir had failed the country on national security and that an election should be held ‘if Andy Burnham cannot figure out how to keep our country safe’.

The Conservative Party leader accused Labor of plunging the country into chaos and said: ‘Britain is not being governed.’ He added: ‘We live in serious times, but the Government is paralyzed and our country is in limbo.’

Mr Burnham’s allies were set back by the short handover timetable set by Sir Keir, who lobbied to take over in September after a summer of planning. Some believe that the outgoing Prime Minister is trying to undermine his successor by not giving him time to prepare.

Some Labor MPs fear Mr Burnham has neither the team nor the detailed policy plan to start immediately.

A former minister said: ‘If you can’t choose between Ed Miliband and Wes Streeting as your chancellor then you don’t know what you’re trying to do.’

On Monday night Mr Burnham was holding talks with Labor supporters, many of whom he had never met.

On a dramatic day At Westminster:

• Sir Keir broke down in tears as he made his resignation speech on the No 10 staircase just days after vowing to continue the fight;
• Mr Burnham ignored calls for a snap election, saying journalists who asked the question had ‘jumped through a few hurdles’;
• Labor MPs opposed to the coronation were lobbying for Sir Keir’s right-hand man Darren Jones to stand;
• The EU has postponed Labor’s planned summit on the Brexit reset next month to give Mr Burnham time to put forward his position;
• Mr Burnham has faced growing pressure to abandon plans to appoint Mr Miliband as Chancellor over fears he could destabilize financial markets;
• The long-delayed Defense Investment Plan could be delayed again to give Mr Burnham time to consider his priorities on an issue he remains unclear;
• A quick YouGov poll found voters backed Sir Keir’s decision to resign by a margin of 62 per cent to 19 per cent.

Sir Keir Starmer broke down in tears as he made his resignation speech on the No 10 staircase on Monday, just days after vowing to continue the fight.

Mr Burnham took a selfie with Labor colleagues at Westminster Hall shortly after being officially sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield

Former Mayor of Manchester grilled by journalists as he arrives in London Euston

On Monday night, Donald Trump described Sir Keir as a ‘lovely guy’ and ‘sort of a friend of mine’.

Mr Burnham has been marching towards Downing Street since his decisive victory over Reform in last week’s Makerfield by-election.

Immediately following the result, Sir Keir vowed to take part in any challenge. But in perhaps his final U-turn, he abandoned the plan after meetings with his wife Victoria and his dwindling allies at Checkers over the weekend.

Mr Burnham’s allies have warned they are prepared to launch a wave of ministerial resignations if the Prime Minister refuses to step down.

As Lady Starmer and loyalist staff and ministers looked on, Sir Keir said he would go because Labor MPs were asking who they wanted to govern them at the next election. He added: ‘I have heard my parliamentary party’s answer to this question. And I accept this answer with great kindness.’

Sir Keir’s closest political friend Lord Hermer the Attorney General claimed the Prime Minister was not angry.

But a senior Labor Party source said he was “fervent” about having to go.

The source revealed he was furious at Mr Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for telling them to set a departure timetable last month and discussed sacking them before being warned it could bring down the Government.

Mr Streeting’s decision to throw his weight behind Mr Burnham resulted in him being branded ‘Coronation Streeting’.

The former health secretary, who left the cabinet last month to run for the leadership, said he had spoken to Mr Burnham ‘at length’ and concluded the new Makerfield MP could ‘win the fight of our lives against nationalist forces’.

The former Cabinet minister added: ‘We can spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help our party and our country deliver the change it needs.’

Mr Burnham paid tribute to Sir Keir and confirmed he would replace him with his own name. He said the Prime Minister’s resignation “is the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is carried out in an orderly and responsible manner.”

‘I will put myself forward as part of this process,’ he said. ‘The country expects stability, seriousness and a constant focus on the most important issues, and that’s what it will get.’

If Mr Burnham avoids a leadership race, he will have the smallest amount of authority in history to govern the country. It was not included in the Labor Party’s manifesto at the last election.

Kemi Badenoch says Labor will be ‘living in La La Land’ if the party thinks a change of leader will save it

And he will be the first prime minister in modern history not to hold a major office of state or as Leader of the Opposition.

Yet he was greeted with cheers when he arrived at the House of Commons to be sworn in after changing into a suit in a train toilet en route down from Manchester. Westminster Hall was packed as MPs jostled for potential posts as Mr Burnham shook hands and took selfies.

Labour’s decision to sack Sir Keir shatters the party’s manifesto promise from the Tory years to ‘stop the chaos’.

According to the timetable set by the Prime Minister, nominations for the Labor Party leader will begin on July 9 and end a week later, the day Parliament goes into summer recess. If Mr Burnham is the sole candidate, he could become prime minister the next day.