Burnham Wins Makerfield, Says Labour Has 'Final Chance'
Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election in the early hours of June 19, securing a route back into Parliament that puts him in direct position to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the country.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester decisively defeated Rob Kenyon of Reform UK in the northwest England constituency.
How an Empty Seat Became a Leadership Vehicle
Burnham, 56, is nicknamed the "King of the North" and has long been considered the bookmakers' favourite to eventually lead the Labour Party — despite not having held a seat in the House of Commons for years.
The Makerfield seat became available after Josh Simons, the sitting MP since the 2024 general election, resigned to trigger a special election specifically to clear the way for Burnham's return, according to Wikipedia's documented timeline of the seat.
Simons had previously resigned from his ministerial position as Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office on March 1, following an investigation into allegations that his former think tank, Labour Together, had commissioned a private investigation into journalists' backgrounds.
Though Simons was cleared of breaching the Ministerial Code, he described his continued presence in government as untenable given the circumstances — setting up the unusual sequence that followed.
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What Burnham Said After the Win
Speaking after his victory was announced, Burnham invoked the constituency's name directly as a symbol of what he believes Labour needs.
"He would work to ensure that the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs," Burnham said, according to NPR.
He went further, declaring that Labour has "a final chance to change" and must win back voters' trust.
That phrase — a final chance — is the kind of language typically reserved for moments when a party leader is being directly challenged, not celebrated. Burnham's choice to use it on victory night signals he intends to move toward a leadership challenge quickly rather than simply taking his seat and waiting.
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The Mechanics of How Burnham Could Actually Replace Starmer
Britain's parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders mid-term, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a general election.
According to NPR, under Labour Party rules, a sitting lawmaker can formally challenge the leader if they secure backing from one-fifth of the party's House of Commons members.
Burnham now holds a House of Commons seat for the first time since the special election concluded — the essential precondition for mounting any formal leadership bid under those rules.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary in May saying "where we need vision, we have a vacuum," has already said he will run in a leadership contest if one is triggered — meaning Burnham would not be the only declared challenger if and when a contest formally opens.
The path from winning a by-election to actually replacing a sitting prime minister requires both the one-fifth threshold being met and Starmer's own political position continuing to weaken enough that Labour MPs see a change as necessary.
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Why This Is Different From Burnham's Last Attempt
This is not Burnham's first bid to re-enter Parliament during the current Labour leadership crisis.
Labour's National Executive Committee had previously blocked Burnham from contesting a separate by-election in Gorton and Denton, voting 8 to 1 to reject his request — a decision that itself led to warnings of "bloodletting" within the party and accelerated calls for Starmer's departure.
Labour went on to lose that Gorton and Denton seat to the Green Party, which won its fifth Westminster seat and its first ever in a by-election — a result that deepened questions about whether blocking Burnham had been the right call.
Makerfield represents the alternative path the party's leadership eventually allowed: rather than another blocked attempt, Simons' resignation created the opening Burnham needed without requiring NEC approval for his candidacy in the same contested way.
Key Takeaways
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, won the Makerfield by-election in the early hours of June 19, defeating Reform UK's Rob Kenyon.
- The seat became open after MP Josh Simons resigned specifically to trigger a special election for Burnham, following his own March 1 resignation from a ministerial role.
- Burnham declared Labour has "a final chance to change" in his victory speech, signaling intent to move toward a leadership challenge.
- Under Labour rules, a sitting MP can challenge the leader with backing from one-fifth of the parliamentary party — a threshold Burnham can now formally pursue.
- Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary in May, has also said he would run if a leadership contest is triggered.
- This follows an earlier, blocked attempt by Burnham to contest the Gorton and Denton by-election, which Labour subsequently lost to the Green Party.
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Politics & World News Editor
James Mitchell has covered US and UK politics for over a decade, with a focus on elections, foreign policy, and Capitol Hill. He breaks down complex political stories into clear, fast analysis.
