Former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham appears poised to take his place after the British Prime Minister announced his resignation earlier today, although a transition to power has not been formally announced.
He is scheduled to be sworn in as a member of the British Parliament later today at Westminster, London.
Mr Burnham just days ago won a by-election in Makerfield, north-west England, which is the equivalent of a special election in the US, allowing him to finally challenge Mr Starmer for the leadership of the ruling Labor Party and the country. Previously, he could not do that because he was not a sitting Member of Parliament (MP).
And Mr Burnham’s sweeping victory over the Reformers, just weeks after Labour’s defeat in local elections, has also given him considerable momentum and strengthened allies’ claims that he is the only one who can stem the party’s electoral decline in a way that the unpopular Mr Starmer cannot.
Over the past few years, Burnham has quietly become one of the country’s most popular politicians. After serving as an MP for 16 years, during which time he rose to become Minister for Health and twice unsuccessfully stood for the Labor Party leadership, he resigned as Minister for West to take up a new role as Mayor of Manchester.
His affable personality and intuitive communicative skills have sustained his popularity despite the party’s turmoil, creating a narrative the party lacks, even if the national policy positions it has advocated during this election campaign are largely in line with the current government.
You can read more about Burnham, including his abbreviation, by viewing his profile here.
