Burnham closer to power in UK as Starmer ally backs out
Andy Burnham is a step closer to becoming Britain’s next prime minister after cabinet minister Darren Jones, who has been touted as a possible rival, said he would not run.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, keen to secure his legacy before leaving office, will face a weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in parliament before flying to Berlin to meet his European allies for talks on Ukraine and the Middle East.
Starmer announced his plan to resign on Monday, saying he would leave office within weeks after the ruling Labor Party elects a new leader.
Starmer’s ally Jones had been encouraged to run so Burnham would face a test on her ideas and policies in front of Labor MPs and members.
Others argue that the leadership race will only focus attention on the party’s internal divisions and prolong a period of political uncertainty.
Jones told Sky News that running for the leadership was “not something I would do”.
But he warned Burnham against veering too far to the left on economic policy, a concern among some in the business and financial worlds.
Burnham is expected to choose a new treasury chief to replace Starmer’s appointee, Rachel Reeves.
Jones said this person should be someone who “can give confidence to the markets, to give confidence to the unions, to the Labor Party in parliament and therefore to the public”.
Burnham is expected to give a speech in a few days outlining some of his economic plans.
Starmer is leaving after a two-year term in office marred by missteps and errors of judgment that damaged his reputation with his party and the public.
Burnham, a former cabinet minister who has served as mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, won a special election for a seat in parliament on June 18 to challenge Starmer for leadership of the Labor Party and the country.
He has not faced any opponents so far.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting, who is considered her main rival, says he will support Burnham.
Nominations for the Labor Party leadership will open on July 9 and close a week later.
If Burnham becomes the sole candidate, she could become prime minister by July 17.
Starmer told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he would seek to oversee the “orderly transition” of his successor.
At the same time, he maintains a busy schedule and tries to leave a legacy in his shortened tenure.
Starmer’s trip to Berlin for a meeting of the “E5” (Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the UK) for talks on European defence, the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East underlines his role on the world stage.
The British government is expected to publish its long-awaited defense investment plan, which led to the resignation of defense minister John Healey on June 11, before the NATO summit to be held in Türkiye on July 7 and 8, in which Starmer will probably attend.
