Updated June 24, 2026 — 6:21am,first published 4:12amLondon: Major decisions have been frozen at the top of the British government after leadership challenger Andy Burnham met Prime Minister Keir Starmer to negotiate a transfer of power before any formal contest has been held to decide who holds high office.The decision heightened the sense of disarray in government when Starmer is meant to be finalising a major defence spending plan, after a cabinet split two weeks ago when ministers could not agree on whether to put more funds toward national security.Keir Starmer and leadership contender Andy Burnham earlier this week.Getty ImagesLabour officials will not open nominations for the leadership until July 9 to replace Starmer in the following weeks or months, but Burnham remains the only contender for the top job and appears to be at odds with the prime minister over major policies.Burnham is being widely portrayed in the British media as the nation’s next leader even though he has not formally nominated, has not outlined his agenda for national government and has not made any significant public remarks about his plans.The challenger’s only public statements since Starmer announced his departure plan on Monday morning (6:30pm AEST) have been some brief remarks to reporters and his oath of allegiance to the King at his swearing-in at the House of Commons on Monday.Starmer held a cabinet meeting on Tuesday in an attempt to continue with normal business, despite the extraordinary leadership moves that mean Britain will have its seventh prime minister in a decade.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has gained ground in the polls with his policy vows to cut welfare and halt migration, demanded an election but appeared unable to force the issue given he has only a handful of MPs in the House of Commons.Farage also came under pressure of his own on Tuesday when he clashed with reporters on the BBC and ITV over their questions about a £5 million ($9.5 million) gift he received two years ago from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne, who is based in Thailand.Asked by the BBC what the money had been used for, and whether it had been spent on his security, Farage dismissed the questions.“It’s literally none of your business,” he told the BBC.Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage.Getty ImagesFarage and his party have stronger support than either Labour or the Conservative Party, with 24 per cent of voters favouring Reform in a survey by YouGov this month.The pressure from the right-wing party led to sweeping losses for Labour and the Conservatives at council elections in May, piling pressure on Starmer because many of his own MPs thought Burnham would do better at taking on the right.Burnham has made headlines as a potential prime minister for the past year, with his allies briefing the British press on his talents, but he has not been a cabinet minister in a national government since 2010.He ceased to be the mayor of Greater Manchester upon his election to the seat of Makerfield last Thursday, returning him to Westminster so he could gain the numbers to replace Starmer.Starmer and Burnham met on Tuesday for the first time since last week’s special election. Neither side released details of what was discussed. Burnham was also meeting Labour MPs to prepare to nominate for the leadership.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 September 1.Starmer told the weekly meeting of his Cabinet on Tuesday that he would try to make the transition to his successor as easy as possible. He told ministers that he wants an “orderly transition” and for whoever replaces him to succeed, his office said.The European Union says a key UK-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 defence investment plan – which sparked the resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey on June 11 – before a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 that Starmer is likely to attend.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 “Manchesterism” on a national scale.Many Labour members hope Burnham’s 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 quit this month to protest what he saw as inadequate defence spending, said that “we need to have a clear and concise discussion about what this country wants to be”.He has suggested that he might run for the leadership, but told broadcaster ITV that “I’m not ready to make a decision on this in any way, shape or form.”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 MPs, a fifth of the parliamentary party, to start a formal leadership contest that would be overseen by Labour officials and require a vote from thousands of party members.After weeks of insisting that he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded on Monday that there was growing pressure on him to hand over to a new leader.While Starmer led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted since then.From our partners