Former Defence Minister Al Carns has officially ruled himself out of the Labour leadership contest, stating that a leadership battle would not be “the best use of Labour's time” and that the party should “get on board” with Andy Burnham. Mr Carns's decision means that Mr Burnham, the Member of Parliament for Makerfield, is now the only Labour MP to have publicly declared his intention to bid for the leadership following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as Prime Minister last month.
Mr Carns, who resigned as Defence Minister over a dispute concerning military spending levels, had previously indicated he would not support Mr Burnham until he had reviewed more details of his plans for government. However, following a discussion with Mr Burnham on Tuesday, Mr Carns stated he had concluded that Mr Burnham would “make the right decisions and move the country forward”, citing his track record in Manchester, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and in response to the Manchester Arena attack.
The process to elect a new Labour leader is set to officially commence on Thursday, 15 July 2026, when the nomination window for MPs opens. Prospective candidates are required to secure nominations from 20% of the party’s MPs – a total of 81 – to be eligible for the ballot. Additionally, they must be nominated by at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated with the Labour Party, or by 5% of the constituency Labour parties (CLPs).
With 403 Labour MPs currently in Parliament, if Mr Burnham manages to secure 323 nominations, it would mathematically prevent any other individual from entering the contest. In such a scenario, Mr Burnham could potentially be confirmed as Labour leader by 17 July 2026, and subsequently assume office as Prime Minister three days later on 20 July 2026, allowing for a smooth transfer of power.
Mr Burnham announced his intention to seek the Labour leadership after winning a by-election in Makerfield and returning to Westminster last month. Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as Prime Minister coincided with Mr Burnham being sworn in as an MP, with Sir Keir acknowledging in his resignation speech that he had heard the answer to whether he was “best placed to lead us into the next general election.” Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had also been considering a leadership bid, swiftly endorsed Mr Burnham shortly after Sir Keir's departure.