Andy Burnham is one step closer to returning to Parliament after he was confirmed as Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election. Labour’s governing body chose the Greater Manchester Mayor and did not shortlist anyone else. Burnham now faces a political fight to win over voters in Makerfield, where Reform are expected to attract significant support.
Background and Political Context
Former minister Josh Simons quit as the area’s MP to allow Burnham a route back to Westminster so he can challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour party. The by-election is likely to be scheduled for June 18. Reform announced their candidate this afternoon as self-employed plumber Robert Kenyon. He ran in the 2024 election and finished in second place in the Greater Manchester constituency, 5,000 votes behind Labour.
Local Election Impact
However, Labour suffered catastrophic losses in the local elections in Wigan council, which covers much of Makerfield. Reform picked up 24 out of 25 seats contested on May 7. Burnham is widely seen as the leading contender to challenge the Prime Minister for the top job, if he wins the by-election. Sir Keir has been under pressure to resign after Labour lost close to 1,500 seats at the local elections, sparking resignations from Wes Streeting and other government ministers.
He has vowed to stay in office and fight the next election, despite his grip on power looking weaker than ever. This morning he led a Cabinet meeting discussed policy and not the elephant in the room. In a read out of proceedings, it was said that Sir Keir welcomed the new Health Secretary and Chief Secretary to the Treasury to Cabinet before asking ministers to update him on their portfolios. When asked whether there was any mention of a potential leadership challenge, No 10 indicated the meeting was focused on future delivery.
