Burnham wins by-election, setting up UK Labour leadership contest

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a seat in the UK Parliament through the Makerfield by-election, a result that reshaped British politics and set up a contest to lead the governing Labour Party.

The by-election, held on June 18, followed the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, which cleared the way for Burnham to stand and position himself to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Burnham won comfortably, taking almost 55 percent of the votes cast and a majority of more than 9,000, exceeding pre-election polling that had predicted a narrower margin over Reform UK.

The victory intensified pressure on Starmer, who had faced mounting questions over his leadership. On June 22, four days after the by-election, Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister and Labour leader, asking the party's National Executive Committee to set a timetable to choose his successor.

Burnham subsequently announced his candidacy in the leadership election. A long-serving figure in Labour politics and a prominent regional mayor, he had been widely seen as one of Starmer's main internal rivals.

The contest now opens a period of uncertainty at the top of the UK government, with the party set to select a new leader who would also become prime minister. The outcome will shape Britain's political direction in the months ahead.