𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The date Andy Burnham could be crowned Prime Minister has been confirmed, after Labour fired the starting gun on the race to replace Sir Keir Starmer. The dash for the keys to No 10 was triggered when Sir Keir declared he was quitting, just days after Mr Burnham swept back into Parliament.

Mr Burnham, who romped to victory in the Makerfield by-election last week, is the runaway frontrunner for the top job, with no rival yet daring to take him on. Now Labour’s powerful ruling body, the National Executive Committee, has laid out what happens next. In the meantime, lame-duck Sir Keir will cling on as Labour leader and Prime Minister until a winner is declared.

Mr Burnham will be named as the new Prime Minister on July 16, if he is the only person standing in Labour’s leadership contest.

That’s the day that nominations close, and we will know for certain by the end of July 16 whether Mr Burnham is the only candidate. It would make him the automatic winner, and our new Prime Minister. A special Labour Party conference would then be held on July 17.

However, if there is more than one candidate then a full contest and vote of party activists will take place, with the winner named at a special Labour conference on August 29.

The full timetable for the leadership contest is below:

Labour MPs can put forward themselves or one other party member. They must then nab 80 signatures from their mates on the green benches (and nominate themselves, making 81 in total) to clear the first hurdle, plus the backing of at least two trade union affiliates or 5% of local Labour parties.

Party members will get a vote if they have been card-carriers for at least six months. But the field is already clearing, with Darren Jones and Wes Streeting having both ruled themselves out, and Mr Streeting vowing to back the former Greater Manchester Mayor all the way to No 10.