Andy Burnham Nears UK Labour Leadership After Winning 322 MP Nominations

According to Lianhe Zaobao, UK Labour lawmaker and former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham secured formal nominations from 322 of Labour’s 403 members of Parliament on the first day of the party’s leadership nomination process on July 9, leaving him one nomination short of effectively becoming the sole candidate. Under the rules, a candidate must win nominations from at least 81 Labour MPs, including themselves, to advance; no other Labour MP had received nominations at the time of the report. Burnham, 56, is expected to be formally declared Labour leader after procedures conclude on July 17, and is projected to be appointed by the King and become UK prime minister on July 20. Burnham said he would maintain fiscal discipline, cut rising welfare spending, and adhere to the government’s current borrowing cap to stabilize markets. In an interview with The Guardian, he said the UK must put greater pressure on Israel over its actions in the Gaza conflict.