Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as prime minister, sparking a seismic shift in the UK\u2019s political landscape and triggering a fierce contest for Labour\u2019s leadership and the keys to Downing Street.<\/p>\n
He has asked Labour\u2019s governing body to set out a timetable for his replacement, beginning on 9 July and ending by the summer recess, to “ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September”.<\/p>\n
Sir Starmer stated he would do all he can to ensure an “orderly” transition of power after announcing his decision to quit as Labour leader and prime minister.<\/p>\n
Follow our live blog updates on Sir Keir\u2019s resignation HERE<\/p>\n
The leading challenger, Andy Burnham, returns to Westminster as an MP today, fuelling speculation over how quickly the Labour leadership could change hands and who will take charge.<\/p>\n
Here, we look at what could happen next:<\/p>\n
How do candidates enter the contest?<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s rules mean even getting onto the ballot can be a complex process.<\/p>\n
First, candidates must secure the backing of 81 Labour MPs, 20 per cent of the party\u2019s parliamentary strength.<\/p>\n
They then need to receive nominations from either 5 per cent of constituency Labour parties, or three affiliated organisations (which must include two trade unions) which represent 5 per cent of affiliated membership.<\/p>\n
Andy Burnham\u2019s significant support among the parliamentary party could mean he ends up as the only Labour candidate. (AFP\/Getty)Only after passing those two stages will candidates go before the party membership.<\/p>\n
Who could stand in a contest?<\/p>\n
Andy Burnham\u2019s decision to stand in the Makerfield by-election \u2013 giving up the Greater Manchester mayoralty to become an MP \u2013 suggests he believes he has the necessary backing from the parliamentary party to get onto the ballot.<\/p>\n
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has repeatedly insisted he has the 81 names required to mount a leadership bid, and has spent the weeks since his resignation setting out his stall.<\/p>\n
Former Royal Marines officer Al Carns, who quit as armed forces minister in a row over defence funding and the treatment of Northern Ireland veterans, has also hinted he would seek to enter a leadership race, although it is unclear whether the MP \u2013 who was only elected in 2024 \u2013 has the supporters required to get on the ballot paper.<\/p>\n
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How would a Labour leadership contest work?<\/p>\n
After a leadership hopeful nails down 81 backers in the Commons and support from constituency parties and trade unions, candidates are then put to a vote among party members, who rank them in order of preference.<\/p>\n
Wes Streetinghas repeatedly insisted he has the 81 names required to mount a leadership bid. (PA)A contender is declared the winner if they get more than 50 per cent of first preferences, and this usually happens through a process of elimination during rounds of voting, the timetable for which is set by Labour\u2019s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).<\/p>\n
How long will this take?<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s NEC will set the timetable for the whole election, including how long potential candidates have to secure nominations and how long members will be able to vote.<\/p>\n
The party\u2019s last leadership contest, in 2020, ran for around three months, with nominations opening in early January and the result announced in early April.<\/p>\n
NEC sources have previously suggested there is little appetite for a long contest, with a maximum of two months being floated.<\/p>\n
Insisting on a transition period would leave Sir Keir as a lame duck. (PA)But Mr Burnham\u2019s supporters have suggested a \u201ctransition\u201d period that would see the new leader take over in September, which would mean a longer contest.<\/p>\n
What would a coronation look like?<\/p>\n
Andy Burnham\u2019s significant support among the parliamentary party could mean he ends up as the only candidate.<\/p>\n
With no need for a membership ballot, that scenario could see the contest wrapped up within a matter of weeks or even days.<\/p>\n
But given Mr Burnham\u2019s apparent preference for a three-month \u201ctransition\u201d period to allow him to prepare for government, it is unclear what would happen next in the event he was the only candidate.<\/p>\n
Insisting on a transition would leave Sir Keir as a lame duck over a period that includes a Nato summit where countries are expected to set out plans to increase defence spending, and a UK-EU summit in Brussels seen as crucial to Labour\u2019s attempts to reset relations with the bloc.<\/p>\n
There is some precedent for such a coronation, however. Gordon Brown was the only candidate to receive enough nominations in Labour\u2019s 2007 leadership election more than a month before Tony Blair formally stepped down as prime minister.<\/p>\n
In that period, Mr Brown still attended leadership hustings around the country to set out his ideas and attempt to win over the public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as prime minister, sparking a seismic shift in the UK\u2019s political landscape and triggering a fierce contest for Labour\u2019s leadership and the keys to Downing Street. He has asked Labour\u2019s governing body to set out a timetable for his replacement, beginning on 9 July and ending by the summer recess, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n