Andy Burnham secures 322 Labour MP nominations, nearing unopposed leadership victory.
Burnham could become Labour leader and UK Prime Minister as early as July.
Leadership race closes next week unless a rival secures 81 MP nominations.
Andy Burnham has moved to within touching distance of becoming Labour leader and Britain's next prime minister after 322 of the party's 403 MPs nominated him to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, leaving him just one short of the threshold at which no rival can mathematically enter the race.
BBC reported that the former Greater Manchester mayor is the only declared candidate and, with several MPs who were absent on Thursday expected to add their nominations when Parliament resumes, he is widely anticipated to be confirmed as leader as early as next week. If no challenger emerges, as expected, Burnham would take office as prime minister on 20 July.
Burnham said he was deeply grateful for the support, which he described as coming from across the party and reflecting a shared belief that Britain needed a new approach to politics. "That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode," he said.
The speed of Burnham's ascent has been remarkable, BBC pointed out. He won the Makerfield by-election only weeks ago, having stepped down as Greater Manchester mayor to re-enter Westminster politics. His victory, combined with heavy Labour losses in May's local elections, intensified pressure on Starmer from within his own parliamentary party to stand aside. Starmer resigned as Labour leader on the same day Burnham was sworn in as an MP, saying he had heard the answer to the question of whether he remained the right person to lead the party into the next general election.
Candidates have until next Wednesday to secure the backing of at least 81 Labour MPs to enter the contest. Burnham would additionally need nominations from at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated to the party, a formality widely expected to be cleared without difficulty. Should those conditions be met and no rival declared, Burnham would become leader without the need for a broader membership vote.
Speaking on Thursday evening at the Silver Clef music awards at the Royal Albert Hall, where he presented the Legend Award to Manchester indie band James, Burnham offered a lighter touch, joking that Count Binface, the serial novelty candidate standing in Nigel Farage's self-triggered Clacton by-election, was carrying the hopes of the nation. It would be Burnham's third attempt at the Labour leadership, having previously run unsuccessfully in 2010 and 2015.
