22nd June 2026
A letter of support from Wes Streeting is politically significant because Streeting had been viewed as a potential rival. Reports today suggest he is backing Andy Burnham rather than mounting his own challenge, which strengthens Burnham's position considerably.
However, several hurdles remain:
Labour still has to complete its leadership election process.
Other candidates could still enter the race, including figures such as Angela Rayner and others if they secure enough nominations.
Burnham is widely regarded as the frontrunner, but frontrunner does not mean guaranteed winner.
Even if Burnham becomes Labour leader, he would become Prime Minister only because Labour currently holds a parliamentary majority.
If Labour's majority fractured badly enough, there could theoretically be pressure for a general election, though that is not the expected outcome.
The key point is that the support from Streeting makes Burnham's path much easier. In fact, some reports suggest Burnham's allies are talking about a possible "coronation" rather than a hard-fought contest because of the scale of support he has accumulated among Labour MPs.