Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has a potential route back to parliament and a chance to become Labour leader after an MP said he would trigger a byelection by standing down from his seat. The move ended days of speculation and underlined the precarious nature of Keir Starmer’s premiership.
In a day of high drama, Wes Streeting quit as health secretary, while Angela Rayner was cleared by HMRC over her tax affairs. But it was the announcement by Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, that he would stand down, triggering a byelection, that brought clarity to the chaos engulfing Labour since last week’s election results.
Burnham confirmed he would ask Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) to allow him to stand in the contest. Allies of Starmer confirmed he would not seek to block him. Burnham said “much bigger change is needed at a national level”, citing the cost of living crisis as a priority for his campaign.
The byelection in Makerfield, which Labour holds with a majority of just over 5,000, will be crucial. Reform UK came second last time, and Nigel Farage said his party would “throw absolutely everything” at the contest. Reform regards Burnham as a tougher opponent than Starmer.
A byelection takes about five to six weeks, meaning Burnham could return to parliament by early July. With backing across the party, he could trigger a leadership contest, which he would be expected to win. Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband support the idea, while Streeting signalled he would back Burnham running.
