Politics
Andy Burnham Confirmed As Labour Candidate In Makerfield By Election
Andy Burnham has been confirmed as Labour’s candidate in next month’s crucial Makerfield by-election.
The Greater Manchester mayor was the only person who put his name forward to stand for the party.
He said he was “proud and humbled” to have been selected as the Labour candidate.
“These proud working-class communities represent the very best values of our country and they deserve so much better,” Burnham said.
“It would be my honour to work for them every day, if elected as their MP, to achieve that.
“Many people here feel Westminster isn’t working for them and they are right. I am standing to change that and get the voice of these communities heard loud and clear.”
It comes after Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) confirmed that it would not block his attempts to return to parliament.
It sets up a titanic battle between Burnham and the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, a local plumber who stood in the seat at the 2024 general election.
He lost by 5,399 votes to Labour’s Josh Simons, who announced last week that he was resigning to let Burnham try to return to Westminster.
Reform leader Nigel Farage has vowed his party will “throw everything” at the campaign to block Burnham.
Farage said: “This by-election contest is now a David versus Goliath battle.
“This is the the Plucky Plumber taking on Open Borders Burnham’. Only Reform UK can beat Labour in this by-election.”
Robert Kenyon said: “Makerfield has never had a member of parliament who was actually born in Makerfield. This will be a tough fight but I am going to give this contest my best shot.”
The by-election could be the most consequential in British politics for decades, as Burnham is expected to immediately challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership and the keys to 10 Downing Street if he wins.
If he loses, it will demonstrate that there are no no-go areas for Reform in Labour’s traditional heartlands.
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