LONDON (AP) 鈥� Newly elected British lawmaker met the man he hopes to replace, Prime Minister , on Tuesday as he prepares for a leadership contest in which he may be the only contender.
Burnham is the strong front-runner to succeed Starmer, who announced Monday that he would step down within weeks after in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.
Burnham, a former Cabinet minister who served since 2017 as mayor of Greater Manchester, won a last week for a seat in Parliament with the express aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party and the country.
Burnham鈥檚 chances got a big boost on Monday when former Health Secretary , who was considered his main rival, announced his support.
Starmer and Burnham met Tuesday for the first time since last week’s special election. Neither side released details of what was discussed. Burnham was also meeting Labour lawmakers as he seeks to build momentum for his bid.
The U.K. parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders 鈥� and thus prime ministers 鈥� without the need for a national election. The next general election doesn’t have to be held until 2029.
Nominations for the Labour leadership will open on July 9 and close a week later. If Burnham is the only contender, he could be prime minister by July 17. If there is a contest, the winner should be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.
Starmer told the weekly meeting of his Cabinet on Tuesday that he will try to make the transition to his successor as easy as possible. He told ministers that he wants an 鈥渙rderly transition鈥� and for whoever replaces him to succeed, his office said.
He is also keeping up a busy schedule, trying not to look like a lame duck during his final days in office. But while Starmer wants to carry on with business as usual, he鈥檚 not allowed to make new major policy announcements or spending commitments during what remains of his time in office.
The European Union says a key U.K.-EU summit scheduled for July 22 will be postponed because of the uncertainty in Britain.
The British government is still expected to publish a long-awaited defense investment plan 鈥� which sparked the on June 11 鈥� before a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 that Starmer is likely to attend.
Burnham’s economic plans aren’t yet known
Burnham was a popular mayor of Greater Manchester, overseeing a period of rapid regeneration for the city in northern England where the Industrial Revolution was forged. He has pledged to repeat his signature brand of 鈥淢anchesterism鈥� on a national scale.
Many Labour members hope Burnham鈥檚 people skills and charisma can connect with the public more than the stolid, managerial Starmer could ever do.
But Burnham’s policies in many areas are unknown and untested. Some Labour lawmakers want to see a party election contest where he would face public debate and scrutiny.
Burnham is expected to make a speech next week outlining some of his economic plans.
Former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who to protest what he saw as inadequate defense spending, said that 鈥渨e need to have a clear and concise discussion about what this country wants to be.鈥�
He has suggested that he might run for the leadership, but told broadcaster ITV that 鈥淚鈥檓 not ready to make a decision on this in any way, shape or form.鈥�
Others have suggested Darren Jones, a senior Cabinet minister and Starmer ally, should run, though he has yet to comment.
Potential candidates need the support of at least 81 Labour lawmakers, a fifth of the parliamentary party, to run.
Many argue that a leadership contest will only focus attention on the party鈥檚 internal divisions and extend a period of political uncertainty.
Starmer won a landslide but stumbled in office
Starmer resigned on Monday after a weekend considering his future, acknowledging that the Labour Party no longer thinks 鈥淚 am best placed to lead us into the next general election.鈥�
He was the to stand outside No. 10 Downing St. and announce a departure. It comes as Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its , a decision that still and politics.
After weeks of insisting that he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded to growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government鈥檚 flagging fortunes. He led Labour to a in July 2024, but his popularity and that of the party have plummeted since then.
Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by , including his decision to appoint , a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising , the -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
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