British media report Prime Minister Keir Starmer met secretly today with Andy Burnham, the figure expected to succeed him, one day after Starmer resigned as Labour leader. The meeting, held Tuesday, suggests a coordinated transition as Labour prepares for a leadership contest.
A day after announcing his resignation as Labour leader — a move that will leave him as caretaker prime minister until a successor is chosen — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a secret meeting with Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor widely expected to win the upcoming leadership contest.
According to reports cited by journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), the meeting took place Tuesday evening. Its contents have not been disclosed, but the timing — a day after Starmer's resignation statement and the announcement of a July 9 leadership contest — points to behind-the-scenes coordination between the two Labour figures. Burnham returned to parliament last week via a by-election victory and is backed by a significant bloc of Labour MPs.
The meeting follows days of intense internal Labour turmoil, including ministerial demands for a resignation timeline and a Trump statement calling for Starmer to step down. Starmer formally confirmed his resignation on Monday evening; he remains prime minister under the party's transition rules.
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