The Labour Party, founded in 1900, emerged out of the trade union movement, and since the 1920s has either been the governing party or the main parliamentary opposition. The last time it was in government was in 2010, as it had failed to defeat the Conservative party at general elections (in 2015, 2017 and 2019) in the 14 years since. 

Keir Starmer became leader of the Labour Party in April 2020, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn following Labour's heavy defeat at the 2019 general election. A former Director of Public Prosecutions and MP for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, Starmer pitched himself as a unifying candidate who could restore the party's electability after its worst defeat since 1935, while pledging to keep some of the party's more left-wing commitments. Four years later, he led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election, the party’s return to power for the first time since 2010 and first election victory since 2005.

Over the next two years, Starmer's premiership quickly faced political trouble, from a series of U-turns on the winter fuel allowance and welfare reforms, to the Peter Mandelson scandal, the government was seen as lacking a plan and direction for the country. Pressure from Labour backbenchers for a change in leadership mounted, and Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister and Labour leader in June 2026, prompting a leadership contest. Andy Burnham, then Mayor of Greater Manchester, stood as the sole candidate. In his first speech outside Downing Street, Burnham pledged a "circuit-breaker" for the country, setting out priorities including re-industrialisation, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and a bolder economic and political model.