LONDON – Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has emerged as a potential challenger to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a decisive victory in a special election in Makerfield, northwest England, securing his return to parliament.
By-Election Victory
Thursday’s by-election, equivalent to a special election in the United States, was called specifically to provide Burnham a path to 10 Downing Street. He is widely regarded as the Labour politician best positioned to unseat the embattled prime minister. By early Friday, with all votes counted, Burnham secured 55% of the vote, comfortably ahead of Robert Kenyon of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, who garnered 35%.
Political Uncertainty
While Burnham considers his next steps, the UK government enters a period of renewed uncertainty, potentially facing a sixth prime minister in seven years. Starmer confirmed to the BBC on Friday that he would contest any leadership challenge, suggesting a potentially volatile transition of power.
In his victory speech, Burnham hinted at his leadership ambitions without explicitly stating them. “This now is the change moment,” he told supporters. “We have an opportunity to turn the tide, to make the country feel like it’s working again, to make people see that politics can make a positive difference, to make people feel hope again.”
Return to Parliament
Burnham, a former cabinet minister and Greater Manchester Mayor for nearly a decade, re-enters parliament at a critical juncture for his party. Since Labour’s landslide 2024 victory—its first in 14 years—the party under Starmer has seen a sharp decline in popularity, culminating in heavy losses in local council elections in early May, with Reform UK making significant gains.
Growing numbers of Labour MPs called for Starmer to resign, but no official challenge emerged because only sitting MPs can run for party leader. Burnham was ineligible due to this rule. The leader of the party with a working majority in parliament is automatically invited by the monarch to form a government, without needing a general election.
The Path to Candidacy
On May 14, Labour MP for Makerfield Josh Simons announced he would step aside “so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for.” Labour’s National Executive Committee, which had previously blocked Burnham’s parliamentary bid, cleared him to stand.
For five weeks, the Makerfield constituency—a set of small former coal-mining towns on the outskirts of Manchester—became the nation’s kingmaker. Politicians from across the UK and journalists from around the world observed as roughly 75,000 registered voters decided the political future of 70 million British citizens.
