Andy Burnham has secured a decisive victory in the Makerfield byelection, winning 55% of the vote and a majority of 9,231 over Reform UK. The result has intensified speculation that the Greater Manchester mayor could challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
In his victory speech, Burnham described the result as a “turning point” and said voters had “voted for change, they have voted for more power for the north and everywhere forgotten by Westminster”. He added that this was Labour’s “final chance” to build a new politics based on unity and hope.
Senior Labour figures have called for a leadership contest. Harriet Harman, the former deputy leader, proposed a meeting between Starmer, Burnham and Wes Streeting to agree a process for MPs to choose a new leader. Patrick Hurley, a Labour MP, urged Starmer to set out a transition process, saying the will of the parliamentary party was obvious.
However, Steve Reed, the communities secretary and a Starmer ally, cautioned against changing the rules, saying there was a clear process for any challenge. He stressed the need to focus on preventing Reform UK from winning the Greater Manchester mayoralty.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage expressed disappointment at the “dramatic, emphatic” result, while his deputy Richard Tice claimed some Reform-minded voters backed Burnham to oust Starmer. Starmer congratulated Burnham, saying voters “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate”.
