The Labour Party's Andy Burnham is set to become the next British prime minister next week after the party MPs named him their leader on Friday.

In the UK, the leading MP of the majority party serves as prime minister. When the previous officeholder steps down, the incumbent party may select a replacement from within their ranks. Burnham received clear majority support from Labour MPs on Friday.

Burnham served as the mayor of Greater Manchester until June, when he won a by-election in Makerfield to return to Parliament. Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last month that he would step down once the party had selected a new leader.

"I will be a leader for every region and nation in this great country, and this Party will be unashamedly Labour in our priorities and in the decisions we take.

Together, we will set Britain on a new path," Burnham said on Friday.

Unlike in the United States, where elections occur on a set schedule. UK elections allow for a prime minister to call an election early. Winning the contest guarantees a mandate of five years, but should a parliamentary leader believe they would win at a time of high approval ratings, they may call an election and win a renewed five-year mandate.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.