Andy Burnham secures Labour leadership with landslide support of MPs

Andy Burnham is to become Britain’s next prime minister after winning the backing of 349 Labour MPs, including all eligible members of Keir Starmer’s current cabinet, making it impossible for any rival to secure enough nominations to challenge him.

The new MP for Makerfield received an extra 27 nominations on Monday, taking his total from 322 last week to 349. With only 54 MPs yet to back him, including Starmer and Shabana Mahmood, who cannot nominate because of her role as national executive committee (NEC) chair, no other candidate can now reach the 81 nominations needed to enter the contest.

Burnham is now set to replace Starmer as Labour leader on Friday before walking through the doors of No 10 and becoming prime minister next Monday. He is using an online hustings with the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) to urge MPs to unite behind his leadership.

Burnham told the PLP on Monday night that he promised to build a “broad church” cabinet, as is the Labour movement’s tradition. He said all appointments next week will reflect the idea that the party under his leadership will represent all wings of the party, reflecting “contribution, experience and commitment”.

In a clear bid to reset relations between No 10 and Labour MPs, Burnham vowed to create a “team and culture where everyone is valued, seen and listened to”. He told MPs he wants to be “accountable, visible and accessible” to establish a feedback loop running from the PLP into local communities and back to the leadership and cabinet ministers, which he said is essential for good policy-making and delivery.

Burnham said his administration will focus on delivering good growth in every postcode, devolving more power to communities and putting the cost of living at the front and centre of government. His focus on devolution and “the north” has left some Labour MPs anxious that only allies with constituencies in the north of England, or those linked to what some have described as the “blue Labour movement”, will see immediate benefits from his leadership and policies.

He began the “hustings” by paying tribute to Ann Widdecombe, saying Labour’s thoughts are with her family and friends, while urging politicians to give police “the resources and space they need” to investigate her death.

Burnham also praised Starmer, who is in the final days of his premiership, for delivering the Hillsborough law, noting the prime minister kept the promise he made to the families of the 1989 disaster, before telling MPs that the country expects Labour to come together at a “significant moment” for Britain.

Meanwhile, the Guardian understands Starmer’s formal resignation at Buckingham Palace, previously scheduled for early next Monday, has been pushed back to later in the morning due to England’s World Cup run.

Starmer is expected to attend Sunday’s final in New Jersey if England beat Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday, which would put the men’s national team on the verge of a first major trophy since 1966. He is due to formally meet King Charles the following day. It will now take place more than two hours later than planned, regardless of England’s fate, to accommodate a potential trip. The logistics of a transatlantic flight mean the original slot was deemed impractical.

Others who nominated Burnham on Monday included the junior ministers Chris Bryant and Mike Tapp, the former minister Jess Phillips and Richard Burgon, the secretary of the leftwing Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.

The extra nominations included backing from the communities secretary, Steve Reed, a key ally of Keir Starmer. Reed was the only member of the cabinet not to nominate Burnham last week – Shabana Mahmood and Anna Turley, by convention, will not nominate anyone because of their positions as chairs of Labour’s NEC and the party respectively. Starmer, as outgoing leader, also by convention does not take part.

Additional reporting by Nick Ames in Dallas