Burnham Expected To Become Prime Minister After Special Conference On July 17
3 min read
Exclusive: The Labour Party is planning a special conference on 17 July to announce the result of its leadership race, and Andy Burnham is widely expected to become the next prime minister that day, PoliticsHome can reveal.
The small officers group on Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) met on Monday to discuss the timetable for electing a new leader following Keir Starmer’s resignation announcement. The decisions are subject to a sign-off from the full NEC on Thursday.
PoliticsHome understands that the NEC officers agreed on the following timetable:
Labour MPs nominate from Thursday 9 July to Wednesday 15 July
Labour MP hustings on Monday 13 July
Affiliated organisations nominate from Wednesday 15 July at 6pm to Thursday 16 July at 6pm
Special conference on Friday 17 July
A Labour source told PoliticsHome that the party has determined that under its rules, Burnham would need both MP nominations and affiliate nominations to be validly nominated, even if he is the only leadership candidate.
The second stage of a Labour leadership contest usually allows for both affiliated organisations – including affiliated trade unions – and local parties to nominate their preferred candidates.
But a nomination window of just 24 hours will prevent local parties from meeting and nominating. Instead, only affiliated organisations are realistically expected to submit nominations. Trade unions will have advance warning in order to prepare for the quick turnaround.
To be nominated, leadership candidates need to gain nominations from 81 Labour MPs – 20 per cent – and at least three affiliates, including two trade unions, comprising five per cent of Labour’s affiliated membership.
PoliticsHome also understands that, even if all Labour MPs nominate before the 15 July deadline, or more than 80 per cent of them cast nominations for Burnham, preventing any other candidate from reaching the threshold, the window will nonetheless close on the same day and not be brought forward.
A Labour leadership contest would usually also involve a party membership vote. However, the process is widely expected not to reach that stage given the level of support Burnham has garnered among MPs, PoliticsHome understands.
Burnham arrived in Westminster on Monday after securing a landslide victory at the Makerfield by-election last week.
Having been sworn in as an MP, he is expected to spend this week meeting with Labour MPs, including those elected at the last general election, whom he wants to get to know.
The prospect of the Manchester mayor making it to No 10 unchallenged looks increasingly likely at the time of writing, with former health secretary Wes Streeting having given up on his bid to become prime minister and endorsed Burnham.
In his resignation speech on Downing Street yesterday, Starmer said he had accepted the wish of Labour MPs for a change in leadership with "good grace" and that he would help facilitate an "orderly transition".
