Andy Burnham Wins Makerfield By Election

Andy Burnham is on course to be the next prime minister after winning the Makerfield by-election.

The Greater Manchester mayor comfortably saw off the challenge of Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon to become an MP again after a nine-year absence from Westminster.

It means he has taken a major step towards realising his ambition of replacing Keir Starmer as PM.

Burnham admitted two weeks ago that he is ready to challenge Starmer, whose premiership has been hanging by a thread since Labour were thrashed in the local elections on May 7.

Around 100 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to stand down, while several ministers – including health secretary Wes Streeting – also resigned in protest at his leadership.

Former minister Josh Simons then triggered the Makerfield by-election by standing down as the constituency’s MP to give Burnham the chance to return to Westminster.

Shortly after 3am on Friday, it was confirmed that Burnham had won with 24,937 votes, Robert Kenyon in second place with 15,696.

His majority of 9,241 is nearly double the 5,399 votes Simons won the seat by in 2024 – a remarkable result given Labour trails well behind Reform in the national polls.

Rebecca Shepherd of the right-wing Restore Britain party, which is led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, was third 3,111.

The scale of his victory over Reform, which has led in the national opinion polls for nearly two years, means it is all-but inevitable that he will become PM.

He already has the support of more than enough Labour MPs to challenge Starmer, and the clamour for him to take over will now become irresistible.

Burnham’s victory also means a by-election will be held within weeks to choose the new mayor of Greater Manchester.

Starmer has insisted that Labour’s focus should now turn to holding on to the mayoralty, and has said he will offer Burnham a job in his government.

But sources close to Burnham have said he will reject any post, with his priority taking over from Starmer in No.10.

Earlier this week, Streeting insisted he had enough support to mount a leadership bid.

However, it remains to be seen whether he will end up challenging the PM or standing aside for Burnham.

Starmer has repeatedly insisted that he will stand in any leadership contest, but is likely to come under intense pressure from some cabinet ministers to instead set out a timetable for his departure.

In those circumstances, Burnham supporters would call for their man to take over without the need for a full-blown leadership contest.

However, other leadership hopefuls could throw their hat into the ring, potentially teeing up a summer of uncertainty for the Labour Party.

After being confirmed as the winner, Burnham said it was the “final chance” for Labour to change.

He said: “This is what voters said to me on the hundreds of doorsteps I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.

“But it is a chance now to build a new politics based on unity and hope, tyrning sway from he path that takes us to a divided dark politics of the kind we see in the United States.

“We mist now take this path and put this country back on the right path and bring people back together.”

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