Greater Manchester mayor Burnham’s by-election win enables him to challenge UK PM

LONDON: UK’s Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham emerged victorious in a high-stakes by-election in northern England, paving the way for him to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and the United Kingdom, Al Jazeera reported.

Burnham defeated his closest challenger, Robert Kenyon, who was the candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK, in the seat of Makerfield, the vote results showed early on Friday. He secured the House of Commons seat he needed to be able to bid for the prime ministership. Burnham won 24,927 votes, beating Kenyon by more than 9,000 votes.

Rebecca Shepherd of Restore Britain was a distant third, trailed by Michael Winstanley of the Conservative Party, Sarah Wakefield of the Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats’ Jake Austin, as reported by Al Jazeera.

“Everyone knows that politics is not working”, Burnham said in his victory speech, adding, “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could – just could – be the turning point. From here on, I will give everything that I have got to make it so, to ensure the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs.”

WATCH: Andy Burnham’s Makerfield victory speech in full

“I say this to my party… This is a final chance to change” pic.twitter.com/yVZPI692sU

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 19, 2026

Burnham’s win will domino into Keir Starmer’s resignation or set off a contest pitting the UK PM against the outgoing Mayor and Wes Streeting, the former Health Secretary, as per Al Jazeera.

Under the UK’s political system, MPs can choose a new prime minister without holding a general election. Burnham is widely considered a strong favourite to become the next prime minister if he challenges Starmer.

Starmer led the Labour Party to victory in 2024. But he has lately been under immense pressure with public unpopularity. Calls for his resignation within Labour have mounted since the party suffered crushing losses in local and regional elections in May.

Twenty ministers have resigned from Starmer’s government in less than two years, nearly half of whom expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership or clashed with him on policy, including Streeting, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)