Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has won the crucial Makerfield by-election by a huge majority, paving the way for a challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Burnham defeated the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, by 9,231 votes, and the new hardline Restore Britain party came a distant third. Burnham has previously run for the leadership twice, losing out to Ed Miliband and later Jeremy Corbyn.
The 56-year-old politician had made it clear that he would challenge the prime minister if he managed to woo the voters in Makerfield.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Andrew Murray Burnham was born on 7 January 1970. He was the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and a Member of Parliament (MP).
A member of Labour Co-op, he previously served as the MP for Leigh from 2001 until 2017. During his first parliamentary career, he held several Cabinet positions, lastly as Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010.
Burnham is associated with the soft left of the Labour Party. He identifies politically as a socialist and has often been cited as the most popular senior Labour figure.
He joined the Labour Party aged 15 and subsequently attended Cambridge University.
Burnham earned the "King of the North" moniker for his role campaigning to secure more furlough funding for Northern communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was dubbed King of the North by both the media and Northerners.
Challenge ahead for Burnham
For Burnham to formally challenge Starmer, he must first secure the support required under Labour Party rules. A leadership candidate needs nominations from at least 20 per cent of Labour MPs, currently 81 parliamentarians, along with backing from at least 5 per cent of local party branches or support from three affiliated organisations, including two trade unions.
Given the level of unrest within the parliamentary party, many observers believe Burnham would have little difficulty reaching those thresholds. Starmer, however, has made clear that he has no intention of stepping aside voluntarily.
Starmer has argued that a leadership contest would be damaging for both Labour and the country and has vowed to fight any challenge. Under Labour rules, a sitting leader is automatically placed on the ballot if they choose to defend their position.
If Starmer does leave office this year, then Britain will get its seventh Prime Minister in 10 years.
