British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement last month that he plans to step down as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party has set in motion the process to select his successor.The successful candidate will take charge of the governing party, which holds a strong majority in parliament, and will become the United Kingdom’s seventh prime minister in a decade.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHere’s what you need to know about the Labour leadership selection process, including how it works and who is in the running.What’s happening?Starmer became prime minister on July 5, 2024, after a landslide Labour election victory following 14 years of Conservative Party rule. He announced plans to resign on June 22 amid growing pressure over painful local election defeats for Labour, domestic policy shifts and Starmer’s appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Mandelson was sacked over his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Starmer’s resignation means Labour must select a new leader, who will then be positioned to take over as prime minister.Nominations for party leader officially opened on Thursday.How does the nomination process work?Candidates, who must be elected, serving Labour MPs, need the backing of at least 20 percent of their party’s members of parliament – in this case 81 other MPs.They must also be nominated by at least three affiliated organisations, including two trade unions, or by 5 percent of the party’s local branches.Labour MPs can put forward candidates until Wednesday while affiliates can select names on Wednesday and July 16. Advertisement In the event of a race between multiple candidates, Labour members and affiliated uni …
