A UK leadership race loomed on Friday after Labour’s Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election in northwest England, giving him a seat in Parliament and a route to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a former cabinet minister, won about 55% of the vote, defeating Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon, who took about 35%, according to AP.
The result returned Burnham to Parliament at a critical point for Labour. The party has faced pressure after local election losses and rising support for Reform UK.
Burnham said the result could be a “turning point” and called for “a new politics built on unity and hope.”
Makerfield, a former coal-mining constituency near Manchester, has voted Labour for more than a century. Reform UK has gained ground there by focusing on economic grievances and immigration concerns.
The House of Commons Library said Burnham could stand for Parliament while serving as Greater Manchester mayor, but would be disqualified from the mayoralty if elected as an MP.
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Burnham’s return to Westminster comes as Starmer faces pressure inside Labour after local election losses and rising support for Reform UK.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s party had made gains in Makerfield, a former coal-mining constituency that has voted Labour for more than a century.
