Andy Burnham is on the verge of becoming Britain's next Prime Minister after 322 of Labour's 403 MPs backed him to replace Sir Keir Starmer, whom he is described as having ousted in a successful internal coup. Because such an overwhelming majority nominated him on the first day, the leadership "contest" is effectively over before nominations close, meaning he will assume power on 20 July without facing a genuine competitive race. The article's central criticism is that Burnham has revealed almost nothing about his plans for the country and has no personal public mandate, having not stood at the general election that Labour won.

Nominations do not formally close until the following Thursday, and a hustings scheduled for next week is expected to be a one-man affair. Virtually the entire Cabinet, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, rushed to back him — with ministers reportedly referring to him privately as "the King" — as they position themselves for roles in his top team. However, his close ally Louise Haigh revealed that Burnham and his supporters had been plotting to remove Starmer for at least a year, prompting a backlash over claims he undermined a Labour government only months after its landslide election victory.