If Burnham is the only contender, he could be prime minister by July 17. If there is a contest, the winner should be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.
Starmer said the process of picking a new Labour Party leader would be launched in July and he would remain as prime minister until his successor is chosen, to be in place in September.
The government is expected to comply with a demand by lawmakers to release documents related to Mandelson’s appointment to, and conduct in, the U.K.’s most important diplomatic post.
More than 90 Labour lawmakers have called for Starmer to step down and make way for a contest to pick a new leader, who would take over as prime minister, and several junior ministers have quit.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Starmer 's Cabinet on Thursday in what is expected to be a precursor to challenging his leadership.
The next UK national election doesn't have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.
