{"id":2617378,"date":"2026-06-22T15:15:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/king-of-the-north-rushes-south-to-london-for-starmers-crown\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:20:29","slug":"king-of-the-north-rushes-south-to-london-for-starmers-crown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/king-of-the-north-rushes-south-to-london-for-starmers-crown\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;King of the North&#8217; rushes south to London for Starmer&#8217;s crown"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fking-of-the-north-rushes-south-to-london-for-starmers-crown%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2617378&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation,leading to plans within the Labour Party to select a successor. Andy burnham, recently elected as MP for Makerfield and a prominent figure in the party, is the leading candidate to succeed Starmer and has expressed readiness to lead a &#8220;political change.&#8221; Burnham, who has a history of political influence and leadership, previously served as Mayor of Greater manchester and is known for his centrist, socially progressive policies dubbed \u201cManchesterism,\u201d blending private investment with public control to address inequalities. His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-viral-x-image-does-not-show-protests-against-le-pen-in-france\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Viral X Image Does Not Show Protests Against Le Pen In France\">recent election victory<\/a> in Makerfield and his move to London indicate his rising prominence within Labour.<\/p>\n<p>While nominations for Labour leader are set to open in July, Burnham appears to have little opposition so far. Even though Wes Streeting, a former health minister, considered a possible challenger, he chose to support Burnham, emphasizing unity and the importance of an inclusive party. Streeting noted Burnham\u2019s potential to win against nationalist forces.<\/p>\n<p>Some critics, including Nigel Farage of Reform UK, argue that the current process lacks legitimacy and call for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-and-trump-expected-to-secure-presidential-nominations-during-march-12-primaries\/\" title=\"Biden and Tru... set to win nominations in March 12 primaries\">early general election<\/a>, accusing Burnham of assuming power with a small mandate. Under UK rules, the next prime minister does not have to call a general election until 2029.Burnham&#8217;s leadership, if confirmed, could mark a significant shift in Labour, with a focus on economically progressive policies and efforts to rebuild public trust amidst ongoing political developments.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4618301\/keir-starmer-resigns-as-british-prime-minister\/\">announced his resignation from office<\/a>, a faction within his own political party was already planning to coronate a successor who was elected back to Parliament less than a week ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4616068\/labours-andy-burnhams-special-election-win-could-spell-doom-for-starmer-as-prime-minister\/\">Andy Burnham<\/a>, the new member of Parliament for Makerfield, is currently the only horse in the race to fill Starmer\u2019s shoes as leader of the Labour Party and head of the incumbent Labour government. He offered <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4617909\/trump-keir-starmer-resign-british-pm\/\">Starmer<\/a> a brief farewell message on Monday that immediately pivoted to talks of a \u201cpolitical change\u201d with him at the center.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4618505\/larry-the-cat-downing-street-keir-starmer-resignation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Six prime ministers, nine lives: Downing Street\u2019s \u2018chief mouser\u2019 Larry the cat outlasts another leader<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4618552\/britain-six-prime-ministers-10-years-tenure-lengths\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Britain has had six prime ministers in 10 years. How long did each of them last?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4618301\/keir-starmer-resigns-as-british-prime-minister\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Keir Starmer to resign as British prime minister<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKeir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period,\u201d Burnham said. \u201cHis decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Andy Burnham arrives at Portcullis House in Westminster, central London, Monday June 22, 2026. (Andrew Matthews\/PA via AP)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/06\/localimages\/AP26173511263891_04d867.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;683&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Burnham arrives at Portcullis House in Westminster, central London, Monday June 22, 2026. (Andrew Matthews\/PA via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The use of the word \u201ctransition\u201d might suggest that Burnham is hoping to take leadership of Labour unopposed. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jun\/22\/keir-starmer-resignation-timeable-andy-burnham-labour-leadership-prime-minister-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&#038;page=with%3Ablock-6a392aa18f0842d8664ef638#block-6a392aa18f0842d8664ef638\">dramatically began a journey by train<\/a> to London the same day, ceremonially changing out of his casual t-shirt and into a blazer before arriving at Euston station and grabbing a taxi to the Parliament \u2014 greeting and speaking with supporters on the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Burnham only just won a special election in Makerfield on Thursday, winning against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4602274\/nigel-farage-curb-immigration-unrest-belfast-beheading\/\">Reform UK<\/a> candidate Rob Kenyon with 24,927 votes to Kenyon\u2019s 15,696. His campaign always characterized Makerfield as a jumping-off point for upheaving the Westminster status quo. \u201cThis result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody,\u201d he said in his victory speech.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Andy Burnham being sworn in as Labour MP for Makerfield this afternoon<\/p>\n<p>Huge cheers from Labour benches, heckles of &#8220;Rome is saved&#8221; and &#8220;He&#8217;s not the Messiah&#8221; to which Burnham replies: &#8220;Naughty boy&#8221; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/frxsICnZs0\">pic.twitter.com\/frxsICnZs0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Steven_Swinford\/status\/2069062504353861775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It may be the most exciting moment of the soft-left socialist\u2019s career. A member of Parliament beginning in 2001, he tried and failed twice to become head of the Labour Party, once in 2010 and again in 2015. He quit Parliament in 2017 to successfully run for mayor of Greater Manchester, a role in which he found the most impact. After three successful election victories and a strong Labour cult forming around his leadership, he began to be informally recognized as the party\u2019s \u201cKing of the North.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a trajectory strikingly similar to that of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3175885\/boris-johnson-listening-device-bathroom-netanyahu\/\">former Prime Minister Boris Johnson<\/a>, who similarly left Parliament in 2008 to become the first-ever Conservative mayor of London. Johnson returned to Parliament in 2016 and became prime minister in 2019, having built up a powerful political brand while running the city that he translated into a national campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Burnham\u2019s political philosophy and policy agenda, sometimes referred to as \u201cManchesterism,\u201d centers on mixing private investment with government funding and emphasizes \u201cpublic control\u201d of common utilities and services. He described the ideology as a \u201cmodern and functional response to the high-inequality, low-growth trap that came from the 1980s drive to over-centralize political power in the Treasury and privatize economic power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation,\u201d Burnham said on Monday. \u201cPolitical change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nominations to replace Starmer are expected to open on July 9 and close by the middle of the month. If other candidates emerge to challenge Burnham\u2019s run, the contest would be expected to wrap by September, with the winner taking office immediately.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But those candidates are, so far, nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4568072\/uk-health-secretary-resigns-challenge-starmer-leadership\/\">Wes Streeting<\/a> \u2014 who served as Starmer\u2019s health minister until May, when he explosively left the government \u2014 was widely considered one of the few Labour MPs with the institutional backing necessary to mount a challenge for Labour leadership and 10 Downing Street.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But age-old wisdom in British politics says that he who knifes the leader does not get to wear the crown. Since it was Streeting\u2019s scorching condemnation of Starmer in his resignation letter that pushed the collapse of the prime minister into irreversible decline, it is unsurprising that the former health minister opted to back Burnham.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Streeting suggested that spending weeks \u201cexaggerating small differences\u201d between candidates would only hurt Labour in the long run and that he is confident that the Makerfield MP would be receptive to his visions for \u201cprogressive capitalism\u201d and a \u201cchange\u201d to the \u201cculture of our Party\u201d that makes it \u201cmore inclusive and open to ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">FILE \u2013 Britain\u2019s Labour candidate Andy Burnham stands in front of supporters during the by-election in Makerfield, England, Thursday, June 18, 2026 where voters are choosing a new lawmaker with Andy Burnham of the Labour Party as the leading contender.(AP Photo\/Jon Super, file)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/06\/localimages\/AP26169426167702_0773ee.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;683&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Britain\u2019s Labour candidate Andy Burnham stands in front of supporters during the by-election in Makerfield, England, Thursday, June 18, 2026 where voters are choosing a new lawmaker with Andy Burnham of the Labour Party as the leading contender.(AP Photo\/Jon Super, file)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHaving spoken at length with Andy in recent days, I\u2019m convinced that there is a place for those ideas under his leadership; that he is committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions; and that he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism,\u201d Streeting said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former minister told the press on Monday that Burnham \u201chas not offered \u200bme any jobs\u201d in a hypothetical future government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4618505\/larry-the-cat-downing-street-keir-starmer-resignation\/\">SIX PRIME MINISTERS, NINE LIVES: DOWNING STREET\u2019S \u2018CHIEF MOUSER\u2019 LARRY THE CAT OUTLASTS ANOTHER LEADER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4561121\/two-party-politics-dead-buried-uk-local-election-bloodbath\/\">Reform UK<\/a>, the surging right-wing party that has eclipsed the Conservative Party as Labour\u2019s primary adversary, is demanding that the British government call an early general election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe man who now presumes to be our Prime Minister based on less than 25,000 votes,\u201d party leader Nigel Farage said of Burnham and the prospect of an unopposed transition. \u201cThat is why I am calling for a General Election at the soonest possible date. \u2026 I happen to believe that a mandate from the British people matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is precedent for party leaders who took the job between elections to wait for a beneficial bounce in the polls and call voters to the ballot box to demonstrate their own mandate to govern. But there is no obligation for the next prime minister to call a general election until August 2029.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Burnham poised to succeed Starmer as Labour leader<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2617379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26173515729252_eb4ec3-e1782152482622.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[17131,44722,5213,5894,34755],"class_list":["post-2617378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-london","tag-monarchy","tag-north","tag-politics","tag-starmer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26173515729252_eb4ec3-e1782152482622.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2617378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2617382,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617378\/revisions\/2617382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2617379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2617378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2617378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2617378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}