The Makerfield by-election, in which Andy Burnham will stand as Labour's candidate, has been officially triggered and will take place on Thursday, 18 June, as confirmed by Wigan Council in a notice on Wednesday.
Burnham's Path to Parliament
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, widely viewed as a potential challenger to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would need to secure the Makerfield seat near Manchester before launching any formal leadership challenge. Dire local election results, calls from Labour MPs for Starmer to step down, and a series of resignations from junior government ranks last week have cast doubt on the Prime Minister's political future.
Candidates and Political Context
Reform UK's candidate in the Makerfield by-election is Robert Kenyon, while the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Green Party are still considering their own candidates. The by-election date announcement coincided with Wes Streeting's resignation speech in the Commons on Wednesday, after he quit as health secretary last week and called on the Prime Minister to resign.
Mr Streeting warned MPs that the Labour Government is losing the fight against nationalism and risks "handing the keys of No 10 to Reform" unless it changes course. He stated, "I left the Government because we are in the fight of our lives against nationalism, and it is a fight that we are currently losing." He also highlighted that nationalists are now in power in every corner of the UK, posing an existential threat to the Union.
Streeting further argued that Labour must fight for young people, who face worse prospects than previous generations for the first time in modern history, and warned of an "AI jobs apocalypse" that mainstream politics must address.
Leadership Implications
Mr Streeting referenced Burnham's challenge in Makerfield, framing it as a battle between "progressives against reactionaries, of patriots versus nationalists, of hope over hate." He said, "It's Andy Burnham's fight in Makerfield, and it is Labour's fight for the soul of our country." Streeting has made clear he intends to stand in any leadership contest.
Despite the mounting pressure, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted he will not "walk away" from Downing Street. No 10 declined to say whether Starmer, who has expressed support for Burnham "100%" in the by-election, would personally campaign in the constituency. When asked if the Prime Minister's backing implied support for Burnham's policy positions, a political spokesman said, "Andy Burnham may speak as himself in that by-election as the candidate, obviously the Prime Minister speaks for the Government."
A More in Common survey suggests that if Burnham were Labour leader, the party could reverse its polling woes and defeat Nigel Farage's Reform UK in a general election.
