Andy Burnham has been sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield in the House of Commons.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester arrived in London’s Euston station earlier on Monday and made his way to parliament for the ceremony.
Accompanied by Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley, and Leigh and Atherton’s MP, Jo Platt, Burnham took the oath MPs swear to the crown on a bible.
He had earlier confirmed to journalists he would stand to be the next prime minister in any process that was run following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday morning.
After swearing in, Burnham met with swathes of Labour MPs in parliament, taking selfies and speaking with members, potentially keen for a job in his cabinet.
Some prominent faces from Starmer’s cabinet past and present were also there, including Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Jonathan Reynolds.
Reeves was notably absent from the PM’s resignation speech, where supporters and staffers looked on as Starmer made his announcement.
Speaking earlier on Monday outside Number 10 Downing Street, Starmer set out a timetable for his departure as prime minister.
In a post on X thanking Starmer for his "huge service to our country", Burnaham said his decision "marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way".
"I will put myself forward as part of this process. The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get."
Starmer’s resignation has cleared the way for Burnham’s bid to become the UK’s seventh PM in a decade.
Meanwhile, Wes Streeting, who previously hinted at running himself, ruled himself out of the race, backing Burnham for the top job instead.
In a post on Monday, Streeting confirmed that he had "spoken at length with Andy in recent days" and that "we could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him deliver the change our party and our country needs."
Starmer said he would do all he could to ensure an “orderly” transition of power and that he had asked Labour’s governing body to set out a timetable to replace him.
The timetable is expected to begin on July 9 and end by the summer recess to “ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September”.
Starmer appeared to get emotional as he thanked his wife, Victoria, for her support, saying being prime minister was the "proudest moment of my life".
As part of his speech, Starmer said the question being asked is "whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election?" – and the answer given by the parliamentary party has led him to "resign as leader of the Labour Party".
Starmer has faced increasing pressure on his political future over the past few months, with more than 100 Labour MPs calling for him to vacate Number 10.
He will leave Downing Street as the second shortest-serving Labour prime minister in history.
The opening of his statement competed with a protester outside Downing Street playing the EU anthem, Beethoven’s Ode To Joy.
The King is expected to see Starmer at their weekly audience later this week, it is understood.
They usually meet on Wednesdays for the regular meeting to discuss government matters following Prime Minister’s Questions, with the conversation usually taking place face to face.
In his resignation speech, Starmer looked back at Labour’s first return to government in 14 years – describing the moment as "a page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair".
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