2026 Labour Party leadership election

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The 2026 Labour Party leadership election was triggered by Keir Starmer's 22 June 2026 announcement that, due to the lack of confidence in his leadership by his MPs, he intended to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Andy Burnham, a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who had been the mayor of Greater Manchester and previously ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, had been tipped since 2025 as a potential leadership challenger to Starmer, but Labour rules dictate that only MPs can stand for the leadership. Burnham was blocked from standing in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election (held on 26 February) by the party's National Executive Committee. However he stood and won the 2026 Makerfield by-election on 18 June after the constituency's MP, Josh Simons, resigned to allow Burnham to stand. Burnham's by-election victory intensified discussion of a leadership challenge; Starmer announced his resignation four days after the by-election...

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