The MP for Makerfield is on track to become the prime minister next week after receiving the support of the vast majority of Labour MPs.

Andy Burnham has effectively been confirmed as the new Labour leader with 349 of the party's MPs having now nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer. After a second day of nominations, the MP for Makerfield received the support of a further 27 Labour MPs - putting him on track to become prime minister on 20 July, with it now mathematically impossible for a rival to run against him. He still requires the backing of three organisations affiliated to the Labour Party, at least two of which must be trade unions, although this is expected to be a formality. The former mayor of Greater Manchester fielded questions from Labour MPs as the only participant in an online hustings on Monday evening. It marks an extraordinary rise to power for a man who returned to Westminster only three weeks ago following his historic by-election win in Makerfield. In a statement on Thursday after receiving the backing of 322 MPs on the first day of nominations, Burnham said support for him had come from across the party and reflected a "shared belief that Britain needs 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," Burnham said. Under Labour's rules, leadership candidates need 20% of the party's MPs - 81 out of a total of 403 - to nominate them. With 349 officially backing Burnham, no rival candidate can now be nominated.