Diana Johnson MP nominates Andy Burnham for Labour leadership

BACKING BURNHAM: Dame Diana Johnson MP

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Hull MP Diana Johnson has nominated Andy Burnham to be the next leader of the Labour Party.

With no other candidates having come forward so far, Burnham, the newly-elected Makerfield MP, looks set to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as party leader and thereby become the next Prime Minister.

In a statement posted on X this afternoon, Dame Diana, the Labour MP for Hull North and Cottingham, wrote: “With nominations opening today for the position of Leader of the Labour Party, I have nominated Andy Burnham.

“I have previously worked with Andy in Parliament on exposing the infected blood scandal and on the related campaign for a Hillsborough Law.

“More recently, in both my roles as Policing Minister and as Employment Minister, I have engaged with Andy as Mayor of Greater Manchester on issues such as reducing serious violence and knife crime, improving vocational training and quality apprenticeships.

“I know that Andy will work to honour manifesto pledges and build on the progress made since 2024 in areas like child poverty, boosting defence spending and controlling immigration.

PM-IN-WAITING: Andy Burnham MP. Picture credit: Scottish Government

“However, while governing for the whole country, Andy also offers a particularly valuable understanding of how regenerating and reindustrialising Northern England, and postcodes outside the congested South East and London, is an essential precondition for growing the UK economy as a whole.”

Sir Keir announced he was resigning as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader on June 22, following heavy election losses and amid mounting pressure from within the party.

Burnham is expected to succeed him on July 20.

Hull West and Haltemprice Labour MP Emma Hardy also nominated Burnham.

“Today I have nominated Andy Burnham to be Leader of the Labour Party,” she said.

“His focus on bringing investment to the North will have significant benefits in Hull and East Yorkshire, helping to create jobs for local people and drive economic growth across our area.

“I also support his determination to put more power back into local hands and to take bolder and stronger action to improve people’s lives.

“Andy’s commitment to social justice and to an active state that protects people rather than simply stepping back is particularly important to me. Following the appalling events surrounding Legacy Funeral Directors and our campaign for regulation of the funeral sector, we have seen first-hand the consequences of inadequate oversight and accountability. I believe Andy would be a leader willing to act in the public interest and ensure that families are properly protected.

“These are policies and values that would make a real difference to people here in Hull West and Haltemprice, which is why I am proud to have nominated him.”

Hull East MP Karl Turner is currently suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party after being a vocal critic of plans to curtail jury trials.

He told The Hull Story: “Unfortunately, I will not get to nominate Andy Burnham as the chief whip decided to suspend me for the Parliamentary Labour Party for speaking the truth in opposition to Keir Starmer’s ludicrous plan to do away with more than half of all jury trials in serious criminal case.

“I have been good friend of Andy for many years even since before I was an MP in 2010. I nominated Andy on all the occasions that he has stood to be the leader of the Labour Party. I ran Andy’s campaign in 2015 along with Micheal Dugher the former Labour MP, so I’m not a band wagon-jumper like most are.

“I know that Andy will make a brilliant Prime Minister and I can’t wait to see him get going. He is an authentic true Labour voice and that is what the country so badly needs.”