What to know about Keir Starmer's successful rival, newly-elected Andy Burnham
Burnham won 55% of the vote and beat Reform UK by more than 9,000 votes, strengthening his case for a Labour leadership challenge.
- On Thursday, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham won a parliamentary seat in Makerfield, positioning himself to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer in what he hailed as a 'turning point' for Britain.
- The 56-year-old politician earned his reputation championing Greater Manchester, where he branded a public transport system the Bee Network and challenged London-centric policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Under Labour Party rules, any leadership challenger must secure backing from 20 percent of lawmakers in the House of Commons, equating to 81 members, to trigger a formal contest.
- Former health minister Wes Streeting stated he is prepared to challenge Starmer soon if the prime minister fails to set out a departure timetable following recent heavy election losses.
- Critics argue running a country of 70 million differs fundamentally from overseeing a city region of 3 million, questioning where funding will come for the pledges Burnham sketched to supporters.
55 Articles
55 Articles
Diary of an MP: The businesses and young people that make me proud of this town
To change it up a bit this week, I'll start up north. I was out canvassing in Makerfield ahead of the recent by-election, and the result was everything we'd hoped for. A thumping Labour majority and Reform sent packing! It was a good reminder that when Labour makes the case clearly and gets out on the doorstep, it delivers.
Andy Burnham has been the most popular politician outside Westminster for years. The challenge now is to achieve a successful transformation from outsider to prime minister. After his strong victory in Makerfield’s by-elections, the mayor of Greater Manchester has so far become the indisputable favorite to succeed Keir Starmer as the leader of the Labour Party and become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just a decade. His rise reflects the ex…
Why Andy Burnham won’t Rejoin
Perhaps it was the hand of God that plopped Andy Burnham down in Makerfield. Had he got his first choice of constituency, Gorton and Denton, his now-inevitable ascent would have carried different implications. He might have won a mandate, as Hannah Spencer did, for an attack on the government from the Left. Makerfield, however, kept him tethered to the center. That was apparent in Burnham’s shifting pronouncements on the European Union. Burnham …
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