As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation from office, a faction within his own political party was already planning to coronate a successor who was elected back to Parliament less than a week ago.Andy Burnham, the new member of Parliament for Makerfield, is currently the only horse in the race to fill Starmer’s shoes as leader of the Labour Party and head of the incumbent Labour government. He offered Starmer a brief farewell message on Monday that immediately pivoted to talks of a “political change” with him at the center.“Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period,” Burnham said. “His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
Andy Burnham arrives at Portcullis House in Westminster, central London, Monday June 22, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
The use of the word “transition” might suggest that Burnham is hoping to take leadership of Labour unopposed. He dramatically began a journey by train to London the same day, ceremonially changing out of his casual t-shirt and into a blazer before arriving at Euston station and grabbing a taxi to the Parliament — greeting and speaking with supporters on the way.Burnham only just won a special election in Makerfield on Thursday, winning against Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon with 24,927 votes to Kenyon’s 15,696. His campaign always characterized Makerfield as a jumping-off point for upheaving the Westminster status quo. “This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody,” he said in his victory speech.