Labour party to crown 'King of the North' Burnham as leader and next PM

Labour party to crown 'King of the North' Burnham as leader and next PM reports that Andy Burnham is set to replace Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the next prime minister. With Labour holding an overwhelming parliamentary majority, the 56-year-old will take office on Monday at 10 Downing Street, following Starmer’s resignation earlier in June. Burnham faces no leadership challenges after winning backing from 379 of Labour’s 403 MPs, while no candidate secured the 81 nominations needed to contest. Nicknamed “King of the North” after three straight Greater Manchester mayoral election wins, he returns after an earlier parliamentary gap of nine years. Before appointment, Burnham will meet King Charles III, who will ask him to form the government. Labour’s strategy includes strengthening regions outside London and countering Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, expected in 2029 elections.