LONDON: Former mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham secured a decisive victory in the Makerfield byelection on Thursday night, setting the stage for a potential leadership contest within the Labour Party and bringing him closer to the prime minister's office.
Burnham, representing Labour, garnered 55% of the vote with 24,927 ballots, surpassing Reform UK's Rob Kenyon by 9,231 votes. Kenyon received 35% of the vote.
Burnham's return to Westminster enables him to challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership and potentially become prime minister, though no formal challenge has been announced yet.
Cabinet ministers are reportedly urging Starmer to step down to facilitate an orderly transition and avoid a protracted leadership battle. Over 100 Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to resign or set a departure timeline.
However, Starmer remained defiant on Friday, stating, "There isn't a leadership contest at the moment. I don't think that's a good thing for the country to plunge us into chaos..." He emphasized that Labour should concentrate on winning the Manchester mayoral contest. "If there is a leadership contest, yes I will run," he added. A No. 10 spokesperson told TOI on Friday that Sir Keir has been "crystal clear for some time now" about his intention to fight any leadership challenge.
During the announcement of results, Burnham stood between a man dressed as a fox and Count Binface wearing a bin on his head, a tradition of joke candidates in British elections.
In his victory speech, Burnham described Labour's win in Makerfield as "a turning point" and urged the party to seize "this final chance to change," warning that "there won't be a second chance."
The Conservative Party also had cause for celebration, as they captured South Aberdeen from the SNP in another Thursday byelection, increasing their majority to 6,050. This marked the party's first byelection victory in Scotland in 53 years. The Conservatives campaigned strongly on supporting North Sea oil and gas drilling, a contentious issue in Aberdeen.
