When can Andy Burnham become prime minister and what are his policies?
How can Andy Burnham become Prime Minister? Will Sir Keir Starmer resign soon? Who else could stand in a Labour leadership election? What are Andy Burnham's policies?
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to resign as prime minister, days after Andy Burnham returned to the Commons.
Listen to this article
The former Greater Manchester Mayor has returned to the Commons after winning the by-election on Thursday and set out his stall, putting the cost of living central to his pitch for top office.
Sir Keir is expected to announce on Monday that he will resign.
The prime minister had previously vowed to fight on and stated that his name will be on the ballot for any Labour leadership contest to arise.
How can Andy Burnham become Prime Minister?
Andy Burnham is now an MP, which means that he can challenge Sir Keir Starmer for Labour leadership, but he is required to have the backing of at least 81 of his party MPs - 20% of their Commons make-up.
He would also be required to have the support of 5% of all local branches or at least three party-affiliated groups - two of which must be trade unions.
Will Sir Keir Starmer resign soon?
Sir Keir is expected to announce his departure on Monday, June 22.
Who else could stand in a Labour leadership election?
Former health secretary Wes Streeting resigned last month after Labour's poor performance in local elections and has been touted as a leadership contender.
Other potential candidates include Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, and Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary.
What are Andy Burnham's policies?
Andy Burnham is considered a Blairite, in the soft-left of Labour, and has launched a pressure group called Mainstream to lobby for greater devolution and nationalisation.
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, his achievements include bringing the bus network under local government control, moving forward with a £300m housing fund, and launching the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate education path.
In a speech on June 19, after his by-election win, his big pitch for No 10 included calls for:
- End of division: In an apparent swipe at Donald Trump, Mr Burnham has rallied for an end to division and said he wanted to make people "feel hope again",
- Employment: Central to Mr Burnham's campaign is to sort out the work crisis facing young people, and he said he would try to get millions of younger people back into work,
- Cost of living: Mr Burnham pledged to bring down water bills, energy bills, and rail fares,
- Devolution: Another policy is greater powers for local governments. He said: "We want to see a new drive towards re-industrialisation across the north of England and the rest of the country."
- Help for British businesses: Making it easier for British businesses to establish and thrive is another of Mr Burnham's policies. This could mean greater financial support and tax incentives,
- Reform for education: Mr Burnham is keen for "everybody, academic and technical, in equal balance," to thrive in their training, with less emphasis placed on the university route.