Andy Burnham won a special election in northwest England, returning to Parliament and putting himself in position to challenge British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party.
Burnham, Labour’s mayor of Greater Manchester, won the Makerfield seat with nearly 55% of the vote, defeating Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon, according to the Associated Press. Burnham won 24,927 votes to Kenyon’s 15,696, according to NBC News.
“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” Burnham said after the result. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”
Because Labour is the governing party, a change in party leadership could also change the prime minister without a national election.
Understanding Britain’s parliamentary system
In Britain’s parliamentary system, the leader of the governing party can become prime minister if that party has a working majority in Parliament. CNN reported Burnham could now challenge Starmer because he has returned to Parliament as a member.
A Labour leadership challenge requires support from one-fifth of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers, a threshold the AP put at 81. NBC News reported 110 Labour lawmakers have already signed a letter calling for Starmer to step down.
The challenge comes less than two years after Starmer led Labour to a landslide election win in July 2024.
Economic frustration, strained public services and political missteps have hurt Starmer’s government. The Labour lost support after the 2024 election, while Reform UK gained ground in May’s local elections.
Burnham’s victory also matters because Reform had targeted Makerfield as part of its effort to grow in Labour areas. AP reported that Makerfield, a post-industrial area, had become a target for Reform leader Nigel Farage’s party. Farage said he was “disappointed” by the vote.
Burnham is expected to head to London to be sworn in as a lawmaker as soon as Monday, according to the AP.
Starmer has said he will not step aside.
“Yes, I will run, I will stand,” Starmer said. “I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”
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