Andy Burnham has set the stage for a potential clash with Keir Starmer after a convincing win in the Makerfield by-election, clearing the way for his return to Westminster and a likely bid for the Labour leadership.
The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester promised change after winning the by-election in the early hours of Friday morning with 55% of the vote and a majority nearly double that of his predecessor, Josh Simons.
The scale of the victory has led Burnham’s allies to suggest he could replace Starmer as prime minister within weeks, if not days. Much will depend on whether the prime minister decides to fight to keep his position.
In his victory speech, Burnham said the result “could be a turning point” and that people had “voted for change, they have voted for more power for the north and everywhere forgotten by Westminster”.
He said this was Labour’s “final chance”, adding: “There will be no second chance, but it is a chance now from this result tonight to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divided politics of the kind we see in the United States.”
Senior Labour figures are now urging the prime minister to agree to a process for either a handover of power or a fast-tracked leadership contest.
Harriet Harman, the party’s former deputy leader, who was appointed by Starmer as his adviser on women and girls just a few weeks ago, said she wanted Starmer, Burnham, and any other potential leadership contenders to agree to test their parliamentary support without involving the wider Labour membership.
Harman told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What should happen is that the three contenders – which is obviously Keir Starmer, who’s the prime minister, Andy Burnham, who’s the challenger, and Wes Streeting, who’s also a challenger – should be got in a room by the deputy leader of the Labour party, Lucy Powell, and the chair of the parliamentary Labour party, Jess Morden, to agree a process whereby Labour MPs choose who they want.”
View image in fullscreen: Andy Burnham shaking hands with the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, after the results were announced. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Patrick Hurley, a Labour MP who has until now remained loyal to the prime minister, urged him to step down. “The will of the parliamentary Labour party is obvious and I think that really we need to now see the prime minister set out a transition process,” he said on Friday morning.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said on Thursday night: “I’m sure there’ll be a conversation with the prime minister, but that’s not for tonight.”
However, Steve Reed, the communities secretary and a close ally of Starmer, said that while he was “delighted” by Burnham’s victory, Labour should now focus on replacing him as the mayor of Greater Manchester, rather than a leadership fight.
“We need to focus on making sure that Reform do not take [Greater Manchester],” Reed told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The damage they would cause to the whole of the north-west of England if they did that would be incalculable.”
He also offered something of a rebuke to Harman’s proposed leadership meeting, telling the Today programme after the Labour peer spoke: “If somebody wants to challenge, then there’s a clear process that they need to go through. You can’t just change the rules.”
Chart showing 2024 and 2026 results
Burnham achieved his victory with a majority of 9,231 votes over the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon – bigger than that enjoyed by his predecessor. Labour won 55% of the vote to Reform’s 35%, while the hard-right party Restore Britain secured 7%. Turnout was 59%, six percentage points up on the general election, with 45,510 votes cast.
Burnham won more votes than Reform and Restore combined, showing that Nigel Farage’s party would not have won even if they had united the hard-right vote.
Farage said he was disappointed by the “dramatic, emphatic” result, while his deputy leader, Richard Tice, claimed on Friday: “We hI’ve heard from a number of people in the constituency who said, “To make sure we get Starmer out, I’m going to vote for Burnham, even though I’m Reform-minded.” Starmer congratulated Burnham on his win, saying, “Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.” Meanwhile, Streeting posted that the result “gives us all hope that Labour can still win, but Andy’s campaign proves that to do so, we need to change.”
The “King of the North,” who was first elected to parliament almost exactly 25 years ago and served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, will return to Westminster nine years after leaving. Addressing hundreds of supporters who cheered him into the Life convention centre in Wigan, Burnham said Makerfield would “never be a stepping stone for me—but instead will be my touchstone. A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will ensure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.”
Voters had told him they felt “neglected” and that “the country works for other people and other places, but not for here,” he said. “That changes tonight. This result changes that. This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everyone. People here have voted for change—they have voted for more power for the north and everywhere forgotten by Westminster. Now let’s give that back to them.”
Burnham’s win means Labour faces another tough contest against Reform UK, this time to keep the Greater Manchester mayoralty. The poll of 2 million voters will be one of the biggest in British political history and is expected to take place on 30 July. The Makerfield byelection was triggered when Simons, the then Labour MP, agreed to step down last month to allow Burnham to contest the seat and challenge Starmer’s struggling leadership.
The prime minister has faced calls to resign over the disastrous appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the US, followed by elections in which Labour lost more than 1,200 local councillors and control of the Welsh Senedd in May.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Andy Burnhams Makerfield byelection win and its implications for Keir Starmers leadership
1 What exactly happened in the Makerfield byelection
Andy Burnham won the seat with a huge majority This is significant because its a safe Labour seat and his victory sends a strong signal about his popularity within the party
2 Why does this matter for Keir Starmer
It sets the stage for a potential leadership challenge A strong byelection win gives Burnham a powerful platform to argue he can win back voters that Labour has lost under Starmer
3 Is Andy Burnham definitely going to challenge Starmer now
Not necessarily but the win makes it much more likely He now has a clear mandate from the partys grassroots to either push for a change in direction or launch a full leadership bid
4 What does setting the stage for a challenge actually mean
It means Burnham has proven he can win in a tough byelection This builds momentum attracts media attention and puts pressure on Starmers team Its the first major step in a potential leadership campaign
5 How did Burnham win by such a huge margin
He ran a very local personal campaign focused on issues like the NHS cost of living and opposition to the governments policies Voters saw him as a strong independent voice not just a party linefollower
6 Whats the main difference between Burnham and Starmers approach
Burnham is seen as more leftwing and willing to be critical of the government Starmer is more centrist and focused on being a responsible opposition Burnhams win suggests the Labour base wants a more confrontational leftleaning leader
7 Could this actually hurt Labours chances in a general election
It could go either way On one hand a leadership challenge could divide the party and distract from attacking the Tories On the other a new leader like Burnham might appeal to voters who feel Starmer is too cautious
8 What does huge majority mean in this context
It means Burnham won by a very large number of votes compared to his nearest rival In a safe Labour seat like Makerfield it shows he didnt just winhe crushed the
