Andy Burnham will become Labour's next leader without anyone running against him. He has secured far more support from Labour MPs than he needs, making it impossible for any rival to challenge him. BBC

Labour's rules say a candidate needs backing from at least one in five of the 403 Labour MPs to get on the ballot. That is 81 MPs. Burnham has 349 — far more than enough. With so few uncommitted MPs left, no one else can gather enough support to run. BBC

Burnham still needs approval from three Labour-linked organisations, including trade unions, to finish the process formally. But this is expected to happen smoothly. An online meeting with Labour MPs is planned for Monday evening, with Burnham as the only speaker. He will become prime minister on 20 July.

This is a big change for Burnham. He tried to become Labour leader twice before — in 2010 and 2015 — and lost both times. He then left Parliament in 2017 to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, a job he held for three terms. He only returned to Parliament three weeks ago as the MP for Makerfield, after winning a by-election. BBC He is 56.

Keir Starmer resigned as Labour leader on the day Burnham became an MP. This triggered the race for a new leader. Wes Streeting, who was health secretary under Starmer, supported Burnham very quickly — a sign that mattered, because Streeting could have run himself. Another senior figure, Al Carns, has ruled himself out entirely. BBC

Burnham has barely spoken in public since announcing he would run for leader. He has given only one broadcast interview — to Andrew Marr on LBC. Some people have criticized this, saying someone about to become prime minister should answer more questions and face more public scrutiny. BBC

Normally, Labour leadership races take months. They include hustings, debates and votes from party members. This one happened in days, decided only by how many MPs backed him. That raises a real question: is this the right way to choose a new prime minister?

Burnham's path is unusual in modern British politics. Most recent prime ministers have come through contested leadership elections where party members get to vote. Burnham is taking the top job without any member ballot at all. His years as Mayor of Greater Manchester do give him a track record on big issues like social care and transport, but he has not had to defend his ideas in a public leadership race.

For the country, this means a new prime minister without a general election. Labour still has its parliamentary majority, so it can change its leader without asking voters. That is legal and normal, but it is still worth noticing — especially because Burnham reached Number 10 so quickly and without much public questioning.