Andy Burnham's path to No.10 looks all but clear after 322 Labour MPs backed his party leadership bid with no other candidate having come forward yet.
Nominations for the Labour leadership began on Thursday, with Burnham falling just one short of the 323 backings needed to make it impossible for a rival to run against him.
That shortfall looks certain to be made up in due course, with the BBC reporting some MPs have confirmed they will cast their vote for Burnham once they are back in Parliament.
If Burnham's bid remains uncontested, he will be declared party leader next week and formally take office as Prime Minister on July 20.
In a statement, Burnham expressed his gratitude to the Labour MPs who have supported him, adding that the backing demonstrated a "shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics".
He said: "That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode."