Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a leadership challenge from more than 90 Labour lawmakers following a collapse in local election support on May 7. Amid this internal instability, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is moving to return to Parliament. The move comes as the party struggles to maintain unity after losing dozens of council seats to the Conservatives and Reform UK.
Labour MP Josh Simons confirmed he is standing down from his Makerfield seat to facilitate the move. This allows Burnham to seek the candidacy for the upcoming by-election. Burnham stated he intends to return to make politics work for the public and will formally approach the National Executive Committee next week to request permission to stand.
The internal crisis intensified as Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary. This followed a separate development where HMRC cleared former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner of wrongdoing regarding her tax affairs. Burnham has urged the party to delay any formal leadership contest until the by-election concludes to provide the Government with stability.
Makerfield presents a significant electoral challenge for the Labour party. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK finished nearly 30 points ahead of Labour in the constituency during the recent local elections. If Burnham wins the seat, he will be required to resign his position as Greater Manchester Mayor, which would trigger a new election for the authority representing 2 million residents.
Sources indicate that Prime Minister Starmer will not attempt to block Burnham’s candidacy for the seat. This follows an earlier attempt by Burnham to run in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, which was blocked by the National Executive Committee. The committee is scheduled to meet next week to finalize the candidate selection process for Makerfield.