Al Carns Declines Labour Leadership Bid
Former Defence Minister Al Carns has announced that he will not be standing for the Labour leadership and has encouraged party members to support Andy Burnham.
Speaking to , Carns described a leadership contest as "not the best use of Labour's time" and emphasized the need to unite behind Burnham.
Carns's withdrawal leaves Burnham as the sole Labour MP to have officially declared his candidacy for the leadership following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister last month.
Shift in Support After Discussions
Earlier in the week, Carns had expressed reservations about backing Burnham, stating he required more detailed information about Burnham's governmental plans.
However, after a conversation with Burnham on Tuesday, Carns stated he was confident that the Makerfield MP would "make the right decisions and move the country forward."
Burnham's Expected Leadership
Burnham is widely anticipated to become the next Labour leader and prime minister later this month.
The Labour leadership election process is set to begin on Thursday, with the nomination window for MPs opening.
To qualify as a candidate, leadership hopefuls must secure nominations from 20% of Labour MPs, equating to 81 MPs.
Additionally, candidates must be nominated by at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated with the party, or by 5% of the constituency Labour parties (CLPs).
Given there are 403 Labour MPs, if Burnham obtains 323 nominations, it would be mathematically impossible for any other candidate to enter the race.
In such a scenario, Burnham could be confirmed as Labour leader by 17 July and assume office as prime minister three days later on 20 July, allowing time for the transfer of power.
Background on Burnham and Sir Keir Starmer
Burnham declared his intention to seek the Labour leadership after winning a by-election in Makerfield and returning to Westminster last month.
Sir Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister on the same day Burnham was sworn in as an MP. In his resignation speech, Sir Keir stated he had found the answer to whether "I am best placed to lead us into the next general election."
Other Potential Candidates and Party Dynamics
Wes Streeting, former health secretary, had considered a leadership bid but chose to support Burnham shortly after Sir Keir's resignation.
Carns had also been contemplating his chances of becoming the next Labour leader. He resigned as defence minister amid a dispute over military spending levels.
When asked by presenter Cathy Newman if he would stand for leadership, Carns responded that "internal blood letting" would not benefit the party.
"So, my view would be we need to get on board," Carns said.
"Andy's done a good job with Manchester, he's done a great job during Covid, he's seen the Manchester Arena attack and dealt with that very effectively, and the economic trajectory of Manchester's in a positive way.
"If we can do that at the local, the regional level, and the national level, I think that's hitting the right place."
