LONDON (AP) 鈥� Labour鈥檚 , the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled Prime Minister for leadership of the country.
Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwest England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party .
The victory announced early Friday cements the status of Burnham, a 56-year-old politician nicknamed the King of the North, as the top contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country. Burnham won almost 55% of the 45,510 votes counted, over 9,000 more than Kenyon.
Burnham鈥檚 victory speech left no doubt that he wants to lead the country, and not just be one of the more than 400 Labour lawmakers in the 650-seat House of Commons.
鈥淓veryone knows that politics isn鈥檛 working,” he said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn鈥檛 where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.鈥�
Burnham has led Manchester since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. He is pledging to repeat his signature brand of 鈥淢anchesterism鈥� on a national scale.
Burnham said he would work to ensure that 鈥渢he name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs.鈥�
He said Labour had 鈥渁 final chance to change” and win back voters’ trust.
鈥淏ut 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,鈥� he said.
Labour is in power but unpopular
Starmer鈥檚 popularity has cratered since he led the center-left Labour Party to in July 2024.
He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by , including his decision to appoint , a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party, and facing a rising , which consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls. The -led party has rapidly gained ground in post-industrial northern England areas like Makerfield, some 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London.
A by Labour in May鈥檚 local elections spurred scores of lawmakers to demand Starmer鈥檚 resignation. He has refused to budge, but senior colleagues are trying to force a change.
resigned as health secretary in May, saying that 鈥渨here we need vision, we have a vacuum.鈥� Streeting has said he will run in a leadership contest if there is one.
Then Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election and give Burnham the chance to return to Parliament.
Britain鈥檚 parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders midterm, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a national election. Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they have backing from a fifth of the party鈥檚 House of Commons lawmakers 鈥� a number that stands at 81.
The victorious Burnham will head to London to be sworn in as a lawmaker as soon as Monday. He鈥檚 likely to seek a meeting with Starmer to argue that the prime minister should exit gracefully and set a timetable for his departure.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Burnham and Starmer would in the next few days have to 鈥渉ave a conversation about what comes next.鈥�
Labour lawmaker Louise Haigh, a Burnham ally, said Starmer should 鈥渄o what鈥檚 best for both the country and the Labour Party鈥� and 鈥渃onsider an orderly and managed transition.鈥�
鈥淎ndy won鈥檛 be doing anything rash or hasty,鈥� she told Sky 草莓传媒. 鈥淚鈥檓 really hopeful the prime minister and Andy can come to an agreement.鈥�
Burnham鈥檚 victory piles pressure on Starmer to quit
Starmer has so far insisted he has no intention of leaving his post.
鈥淚 will fight if there鈥檚 a challenge,鈥� he said at the G7 summit in France this week. 鈥淲e won a significant general election result in 2024, with a mandate to bring about change. I鈥檓 not going to walk away from that.鈥�
Starmer suggested that he could offer Burnham a Cabinet post, telling Sky 草莓传媒 on Wednesday that 鈥淚 want him to have a big role in government.鈥� Allies of Burnham indicated that he wasn鈥檛 interested.
Despite his stubborn determination, Starmer could be forced out if several members of the Cabinet tell him the game is up and quit, or threaten to quit, in protest.
There could then be a leadership contest, or a coronation, depending on whether other potential candidates think Burnham has an unassailable lead.
Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said 鈥渢he pressure on Starmer will be very hard to resist鈥� now that Burnham is back in Parliament.
Ford said defeating Reform UK in Makerfield strengthens Burnham鈥檚 claim to be Labour鈥檚 biggest asset.
鈥淭he narrative he can bring is, 鈥楴o one else could have won that seat. I won that. I bring something unique. I bring an ability to renew our appeal,鈥欌�� Ford said.
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