Starmer to go and Burnham favourite to replace him - but is he ready?
Jack Fenwick, Henry Zeffman, Harry Farley and Nick Eardley
BBC Politics
One source who has been working on policy for Andy Burnham for a number of months described their preparations for taking over Downing Street as "not very ready", and said they could still try to keep Starmer in place until the autumn, even if there is no leadership contest.
They suggested that prospective cabinet ministers and advisers could be picked before then and put through "accession talks" in August to better prepare them for government.
But that's not a view held among the majority of Burnham's inner circle.
One source said "the timetable is the timetable, we don't have a choice, he becomes PM in July if he's the only candidate".
The timetable for a leadership contest is decided by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, but if there is no contest it could well be down to Starmer himself.
One ally of the prime minister's said they didn't think he would be willing to hang around just to give Burnham more time to prepare.
Policy work has been under way for weeks in areas such as housing and transport.
Some advisers have been looking at ways in which a Burnham-led government may be able to borrow more in some areas.
But Burnham's allies accept there's been less developed thinking when it comes to defence, energy and welfare.
At the end of another tumultuous day in Westminster it looks all but certain that it will now fall to him to fit all of this together into a cohesive government and functional political project.
This live coverage is pausing for now. You can read the latest on a seismic day in politics here.
Hillsborough Law campaigners call for bill to be passed despite change in PM
Judith Moritz and Daniel Wittenberg
Campaigners for the Hillsborough Law have called for the bill to be passed in full before the end of the summer, despite the change in prime minister.
Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James was among the 97 people unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough disaster, tells the BBC she welcomed Andy Burnham’s election as MP for Makerfield but does not believe there is any need to wait for him to potentially take office before the legislation is implemented.
She says: “This was Keir’s pledge. It was in his manifesto. He made that pledge to me personally in Number Ten, then again on record in the House of Commons.”
Starmer had pledged that the legislation – which would introduce a legal obligation on public officials and organisations to act with honesty and transparency – would become law by April this year, in time for the 36th anniversary of the disaster.
However, progress has stalled over disagreement on whether the measures should apply to the intelligence services.
Burnham has been a long-standing supporter of Hillsborough families and survivors. As secretary of state for culture, media and sport in 2009, he helped pave the way for the disclosure of new information about the disaster.
He first introduced a version of the Hillsborough Law in Parliament in 2017. He has continued to campaign for it to be implemented and for its duty of candour to extend to MI5 and MI6 as well as other public authorities.
In a statement on social media, the Hillsborough Law Now campaign said: "While we are disappointed by the continued barriers and delays, we thank [Starmer] for helping us reach this point when many other prime ministers did not even try."
Trump's relationship with Starmer ends on a bad note
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
I've just left the Oval Office of the White House, where, it seemed to me, Trump bristled a bit when asked about Keir Starmer - a man whom he once praised but who now has become the object of considerable scorn.
While he may believe that Starmer is a "lovely man" and maybe even a friend, Trump clearly feels let down by what he perceives as a failure to come to the aid of US when he felt it would have been helpful.
At the heart of the matter was a lack of British participation in Operation Epic Fury, and the initial British denial of its bases for use in offensive operations in Iran during the conflict.
That, more than anything else, led to Trump's change in tone about the outgoing prime minister.
"By the way, Starmer wasn't there," Trump said, unprompted, while discussing US Nato allies. "And you know what? The people of the UK did not like it that he wasn't there."
The event ended before Trump could be asked for his views on Andy Burnham - but Trump has never been shy about weighing in on another country's domestic politics, so there may well be more in the coming days.
A deeply personal moment behind a very public event
Harry Farley
Political correspondent
I’ve just bumped into a depressed looking Labour MP leaving Downing Street.
They had been at a gathering inside for staff and MPs who had been loyal to Keir Starmer.
We're told Victoria Starmer, the prime minister’s wife who he thanked in his resignation speech, addressed those present.
“I just wanted to say thank you from me,” she said. "I obviously love Keir and support him as much as I can, but there's only so much I could do, and it's you guys who gave that support day in day out, and I am personally really grateful for that. So, thank you all.”
That tells us two things. Firstly, it’s a reminder of the deeply personal emotions behind very public political events.
And secondly, it shows there is still a group of Labour MPs loyal to Starmer who do not want Andy Burnham to be prime minister.
They might be a minority - but uniting a fractious parliamentary Labour Party will be one of his main challenges if indeed he does take over in a few weeks’ time.
Burnham's ambitions could be curbed by financial reality
Dharshini David
Deputy economics editor
For all the drama at Downing Street today, financial markets have been calm.
You might wonder if investors had headed to the beach for the day, but no - they are watching to see not just who is going to reside behind that door at No 10, but also who will be behind No 11 as chancellor.
This isn't a popularity contest, but one of policy and priorities - how they will tackle issues such as growth, jobs, and rising welfare spending.
Andy Burnham wants measures such as more control of utilities, while boosting social housing and the defence budget - a bigger role for the state, but a more costly one.
He's constrained by the public finances. Public debt is heading up to £3 trillion and he wants to keep the rules designed to curb that.
So will his ambitions be curbed by financial reality - or will money be raised elsewhere through more tax rises?
Burnham might have once said he wouldn’t be in hock to the bond markets, the government's lenders, but the next chancellor will have to keep them on side.
There may be several people vying to take control of the Treasury - but in some ways, it's an unenviable task.
Burnham called for a general election during 2022 Tory leadership race
By Tamara Kovacevic
Following Keir Starmer’s resignation, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted a video on X calling for a general election, saying people had “had enough” of parties “chopping and changing their leaders”.
Andy Burnham was asked earlier whether there should be a general election if he becomes prime minister, but did not answer the question directly: "I think you're jumping several hurdles ahead there - my priority today is to be sworn is as the MP for Makerfield," he said.
However, we have found several posts from him calling for a general election during the time the Conservatives were choosing a new leader to succeed Boris Johnson, who resigned on 7 July 2022.
On 13 July 2022, a post from his X account said, external: “We need to start demanding a general election at the end of this Tory leadership election. They were all elected on a manifesto promise to level up the North and are all abandoning it.”
Ahead of the ITV debate between the five Tory leadership hopefuls on 17 July another post said, external: “Only one possible response to #itvdebate, external… We need a general election.”
And his account posted the hashtag, external #GeneralElectionNow, external on 20 October 2022 - just as Liz Truss’s short premiership was coming to an end.
Burnham should call early election, says former Labour minister
Andy Burnham should "be brave" and call an early general election, a former minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Alan Johnson, the former home secretary, tells Matt Chorley that "Andy should go to the country", even though an election does not have to be called until August 2029.
He goes on: "MPs won't like it. It'll be a very bold thing to do. It might set a precedent that others in the future will have to follow, but it will help restore trust in politics, and that is Andy's big plus."
Johnson says that if Burnham decides against calling an early election, he will have to "follow the mandate and the manifesto of Keir Starmer and he's criticised big chunks of that".
The Labour veteran adds: "Be brave Andy, be brave."
Earlier, Burnham dismissed calls for an early election when asked by the BBC, saying it was "jumping several hurdles".
Burnham could enter No 10 within a few weeks
Joe Pike
Political correspondent
Within hours of Keir Starmer’s emotional resignation speech, the race to succeed him looked less like a contest and more like a coronation.
Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s decision to back Andy Burnham’s bid for the top job means the new Makerfield MP could swiftly gain an unassailable lead among Labour parliamentarians.
If there is a coronation, and no contest, Burnham could be moving into No 10 within weeks - and opposition parties are already arguing he doesn't have a mandate.
But it is a sign of the frenzied pace of our politics that few in Westminster are talking of Starmer or his political legacy.
Most Labour MPs seem more interested in who, and what, is next.
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World leaders react to Starmer's resignation announcement
World leaders have been reacting to Keir Starmer's resignation, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanks the outgoing prime minister for his support and "always striving to do what is needed and what will truly help".
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney says: "The world is safer and allies are more united because of his [Starmer's] efforts."
France's President Emmanuel Macron thanks him for "strengthening the Franco-British relationship, his commitment within the coalition of volunteers for Ukraine, as well as to the revival of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union".
Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin says Starmer "has worked with us to set a new direction and depth in the relationship between Ireland and the UK, for the benefit of all our citizens, north-south and east-west".
