Andy Burnham wins Makerfield, returns to Parliament and piles pressure on Starmer

London,UPDATED: Jun 19, 2026 15:36 IST

Andy Burnham has won the special election for the Makerfield seat in Parliament, a result that returns the Greater Manchester mayor to Westminster and puts him in a position to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. Burnham's win adds to the pressure on Starmer, who has faced growing criticism despite Labour being in power.

Burnham beat Reform UK's Rob Kenyon in the north-west England seat, winning almost 55 per cent of the 45,510 votes cast in a field of more than a dozen candidates. He finished more than 9,000 votes ahead of Kenyon. Starmer congratulated Burnham, but said he would resist any attempt to remove him, saying, "Yes, I will run, I will stand," if there is a Labour leadership contest, and adding, "I've said repeatedly I'm not going to walk away from that."

In his victory speech, Burnham made clear that he sees the result as bigger than a single by-election. "Everyone knows that politics isn't working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point." Starmer, writing on X, said voters "chose Labour's campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate."

Burnham, 56, has led Manchester since 2017 and has said he wants to take his brand of "Manchesterism" to the national stage. He said he would work to ensure that "the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs." He also said Labour had "a final chance to change" and win back voters' trust. "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, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States," he said.

Starmer's standing has fallen sharply since he led Labour to a landslide victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver economic growth, improve public services and ease the cost of living crisis. He has also been hit by repeated missteps, including appointing Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States. Labour has been losing liberal voters to the Green Party while facing a growing challenge from Reform UK, which has made gains in post-industrial parts of northern England. After the Makerfield result, Nigel Farage said he was "disappointed, no question about it" by Thursday's vote.

Pressure on Starmer had already been rising after Labour's poor showing in May's local elections. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary that month, saying that "where we need vision, we have a vacuum." Streeting has said he will run if there is a leadership contest. The by-election was triggered after Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down from Makerfield, giving Burnham the chance to return to Parliament. Under Labour rules, a challenge to the leader needs the backing of a fifth of the party's MPs in the House of Commons, which currently means 81 lawmakers.

Burnham is expected to be sworn in as an MP as soon as Monday and is likely to seek a meeting with Starmer to argue that the prime minister should leave in an orderly way and set a timetable for his departure. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Burnham and Starmer would need to "have a conversation about what comes next" in the next few days. Labour MP Louise Haigh, a Burnham ally, said Starmer should "do what's best for both the country and the Labour Party" and "consider an orderly and managed transition." She told Sky News: "Andy won't be doing anything rash or hasty. I'm really hopeful the prime minister and Andy can come to an agreement."

Starmer has continued to say he has no plan to quit, arguing that he was elected on a "mandate for change" and would continue with it. He also suggested Burnham could join the Cabinet, saying on Wednesday: "I want him to have a big role in government." Burnham's allies indicated that he was not interested. Starmer could still be forced out if Cabinet members resign, or threaten to resign, and a contest could follow unless potential rivals decide Burnham cannot be beaten.

Rob Ford, a political science professor at the University of Manchester, said "the pressure on Starmer will be very hard to resist" now that Burnham is back in Parliament. Ford said Burnham's win over Reform UK strengthened his claim to be Labour's strongest asset, adding: "The narrative he can bring is, No one else could have won that seat. I won that. I bring something unique. I bring an ability to renew our appeal." Burnham's victory has therefore brought him back to Westminster and sharpened the fight over Labour's leadership as Starmer insists he will stay on.

With PTI Inputs

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