2026 Labour Party leadership election (UK)

2026 Labour Party leadership election
9 July – 1 September 2026[a]
 
Candidate Andy Burnham
Incumbent Leader

Keir Starmer


The 2026 Labour Party leadership election was caused by Keir Starmer's resignation as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister on 22 June 2026.

Talks of a leadership election started after the party's poor results in the local elections, the Senedd election and Scottish Parliament election in May 2026, and grew after Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield. Starmer announced his resignation on 22 June. Nominations are expected to open on 9 July and close on 16 July, with a leader to be elected by 1 September if more than one candidate is running.[1] Burnham was the first to announce his candidacy for the leadership contest. Wes Streeting, who was seen as a potential candidate, announced his support of Burnham.

Timeline

  • 9 July: Nominations open (a candidate must be backed by at least 20% of the Labour MPs)
  • 16 July: Nominations close
  • 1 September: Contested elections if multiple candidates are nominated[2]

Candidates

Burnham was the first to announce his candidacy for the leadership contest after Starmer's resignation announcement, saying that he "will put [himself] forward as part of this process."[3] Wes Streeting, who was seen as a potential candidate, endorsed Burnham.[4]

Declared

Candidate Born Political office Announced Nominated
7 January 1970
Aintree, Lancashire
 MP for Makerfield (2026–present)
Mayor of Greater Manchester (2017–2026)
MP for Leigh (2001–2017)
Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2008–2009)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2007–2008)		 22 June 2026[3]

Possible candidates

Declined to run

Opinion polls

Multi-candidate polling
Head-to-head

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ If no contest is held and Burnham runs unopposed, the leadership election will be over by 18 July.

References

  1. ↑ Doherty, Caitlin; Yeung, Tinshui; Street, with Henry Zeffman reporting from Downing (22 June 2026). "Keir Starmer resigns, as Andy Burnham confirms he will run to replace him as Labour leader and PM". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Doherty, Caitlin; Yeung, Tinshui; Street, with Henry Zeffman reporting from Downing (22 June 2026). "Keir Starmer announces his resignation as prime minister and leader of Labour Party". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Burnham confirms he will seek to replace Starmer as PM". BBC News. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Streeting backs Burnham: His statement in full". BBC News. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Sarwar 'proud' of work with Starmer despite resignation call". www.bbc.com. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Darren Jones says he will not challenge Andy Burnham for Labour leadership". The Guardian. 24 June 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Lammy backs Burnham for PM". The Telegraph. 23 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "As pressure on Starmer continues, Andy Burnham continues to be the most popular alternative". Ipsos. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 "What do Labour members think of the party leadership, May 2026?". YouGov. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Labour Leader poll for Mail on Sunday". Find Out Now. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Keir Starmer's replacement? Andy Burnham's prospects among Labour members and the general public". Survation. 12 May 2026. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Starmer would defeat Streeting in leadership contest, poll suggests". LabourList. 6 February 2026. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Streeting would lose leadership contest against Keir Starmer, poll reveals". LabourList. 14 May 2026. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Labour members polling". Find Out Now. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Starmer would lose leadership contest to Streeting, Rayner, Burnham and Miliband". LabourList. 22 November 2025. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.