Andy Burnham poised to become UK Prime Minister as Keir Starmer resigns

Outgoing Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivered his final Prime Minister’s Questions, declaring, “This is the end of my political journey,” before being applauded in the Commons. He pledged “full support” to his successor and said he would leave the country “in a better state.”

Labour’s leadership contest closed with Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, securing an unassailable lead – 349‑plus nominations from MPs and backing from the Unison union – making a challenger mathematically impossible. Burnham is set to be confirmed as Labour leader on Friday, receive the keys to 10 Downing Street from King Charles III on Monday (July 20) and become the UK’s seventh prime minister in ten years.

The transition follows months of internal pressure on Starmer over scandals and policy reversals, and comes as Britain faces a fiscal squeeze, high public debt and calls for reforms such as a Land‑Value Tax and changes to capital‑gains rules. Burnham’s early statements highlighted cost‑of‑living concerns, a commitment to “rewire Westminster,” and support for the newly‑passed Hillsborough law championed by Starmer’s government.