The prime minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down, saying a new leader will be in place before parliament returns in September.
In a press conference this morning, Starmer set out the timetable for his departure, both as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party.
“I will ask the national executive committee of the Labour party to set out a timetable, with nominations opening on July 9 and completed by the summer recess,” he said.
“In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before parliament returns in September.
“I will remain in post as prime minister until the contest is complete, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
The House of Commons is due to go on summer recess on July 16. If Andy Burnham is unopposed, there will be a coronation of him as the new prime minister by the middle of July.
If there is a contest for the leadership, then a new PM will be in post by the end of August, with the summer recess due to end on September 1.
Starmer’s resignation follows Burnham’s resounding win in the recent Makerfield byelection.
The so-called ‘king of the North’, Burnham has pledged to “lay out a new path for Britain” and said that the country needs an “economy that works for everybody”.
Retail Week has analysed what a potential Burnham premiership would look like and what it would mean for the retail sector.
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