LONDON: Andy Burnham took another significant step on Monday towards becoming Britain's next prime minister, netting additional Labour MPs' nominations to give him an unassailable lead in the ruling party's leadership contest.
The veteran politician, who has served as Greater Manchester mayor for nearly a decade, is the only Labour member of parliament to publicly declare themselves a candidate to replace outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer announced he was quitting last month, bowing to months of internal pressure to resign after a series of scandals, missteps and policy U-turns.
Burnham, 56, is now all but certain to become Labour's next leader later this week and the country's new prime minister next week, after the party confirmed the latest votes in what has become a coronation.
After receiving the votes of 322 of 403 Labour MPs on the first day of nominations on Thursday, he had gained an extra 27 nominations by Monday afternoon, according to Labour's public tally.
The 349 nominations now secured in total means it would be impossible for any other candidate to get the 81 endorsements needed to challenge for the Labour leadership.
Nominations close on Thursday. In the absence of a contest, Burnham will be crowned Labour leader -- and prime minister in waiting -- at a special conference the following day.
He would then replace Starmer at 10 Downing Street next Monday, shortly after meeting King Charles III for formal confirmation he will become Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade.