What happens now Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as prime minister?

Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister has sparked a jarring shift in the UK’s political landscape and triggered a fierce competition for the leadership of the Labor Party and the keys to Downing Street.

He asked Labour’s governing body to set out a timetable for changes starting on July 9 and lasting until the summer recess, with the aim of “ensuring that a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September”.

After announcing his decision to step down as Labor leader and prime minister, Sir Starmer said he would do his best to ensure an “orderly” transition of power.

Follow our live blog updates on Sir Keir’s resignation HERE

The return of leading rival Andy Burnham to Westminster as an MP today has fueled speculation about how quickly the Labor leadership could change hands and who will take responsibility.

Here we look at what might happen next:

How do candidates participate in the competition?

Labour’s rules mean even getting onto the ballot paper can be a complicated process.

First of all, candidates must receive the support of 81 Labor MPs, which constitute 20 percent of the party’s strength in parliament.

They must then nominate candidates either from parties that make up 5 per cent of Labor parties in the constituency or from three affiliates representing 5 per cent of affiliated members (which must include two unions).

Only after passing these two stages will the candidates appear before the party membership.

Who can participate in a competition?

Andy Burnham’s decision to stand in the Makerfield by-election – giving up the mayoralty of Greater Manchester to become an MP – shows he believes he has the necessary support from his parliamentary party to take part in the vote.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting has repeatedly insisted he has the 81 names needed to make a leadership bid and has been preparing his own stall for weeks since his resignation.

Former Royal Marines officer Al Carns, who resigned as armed forces secretary over defense funding and the treatment of Northern Ireland veterans, has also hinted he will enter the leadership race, but it is not yet clear whether the MP elected in 2024 has the necessary supporters to get on the ballot paper.

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How will the Labor Party leadership contest work?

Once a leadership hopeful has identified 81 supporters in the House of Commons and secured support from constituency parties and unions, candidates are put to a vote by party members who rank them in order of preference.

If a contestant receives more than 50 per cent of first preferences, they are declared the winner, and this usually occurs through a process of elimination during the voting rounds, the timetable of which is determined by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).

How long will this take?

Labour’s NEC will set the timetable for the entire election, including how long potential candidates have to be nominated and how long members can vote.

The party’s last leadership contest in 2020 lasted nearly three months; nominations opened in early January and results were announced in early April.

NEC sources have previously suggested there is little appetite for a long competition lasting two months at most.

But Mr Burnham’s supporters have suggested a “transitional” period during which the new leader would take over in September, which would mean a longer struggle.

What would a coronation be like?

Andy Burnham’s significant support within the parliamentary party could mean he will be the sole candidate.

In this scenario, where no membership vote is needed, the contest can be expected to be completed within a few weeks or even a few days.

But given Mr Burnham’s preference for a three-month “transition” period to prepare for government, it is unclear what will happen next if he is the sole candidate.

Insisting on a transition would leave Sir Keir a lame duck at a time that includes a NATO summit at which countries are expected to make plans to increase defense spending and a UK-EU summit in Brussels seen as crucial to Labor’s attempts to restore relations with the bloc.

But there is some precedent for such a coronation. Gordon Brown was the only candidate to receive sufficient nominations in Labour’s 2007 leadership election, a month before Tony Blair officially stepped down as prime minister.

At the time, Mr. Brown was still attending leadership meetings around the country to put forward his ideas and try to win over public opinion.