Andy Burnham has been chosen as Labour’s candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, the party has announced.
He said the voters of Makerfield “feel Westminster isn’t working for them” and “I am standing to change that” after being selected.
It is understood Mr Burnham was the only person shortlisted for selection by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, bypassing a vote by the local party.
The decision sets up a contest between Mr Burnham and Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, a local plumber who contested the seat for the party in 2024.
Mr Burnham has put himself forward as the candidate to “change Labour”, using a campaign video to call for a “new path for Britain”.
New polling suggests the Mayor of Greater Manchester would beat Sir Keir Starmer in a head-to-head Labour leadership fight.
However, the Prime Minister has insisted he will not “walk away” from Downing Street and that he will not set out a timetable for his departure even if Mr Burnham returns to Parliament.
It comes after Sir Keir chaired a meeting of his new-look Cabinet for the first time this morning.
The weekly Downing Street get-together was the first since Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary and called on the Prime Minister to quit last week.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy joked that it was “a nicer week than last week” as he arrived for the Downing Street meeting as Sir Keir attempted to show the business of government was continuing despite the Westminster turmoil.
If Sir Keir does not resign, Mr Burnham would need to secure the backing of 81 Labour MPs to mount a leadership challenge, potentially setting up a contest with the Prime Minister for party members’ votes.
But on Monday evening, one of his supporters suggested the mayor would not seek an immediate leadership fight.
Leeds MP Alex Sobel told LBC it was not his “expectation” that Mr Burnham would immediately trigger a contest, saying he would “come back and potentially serve in the Government, try and help us turn this Government round”.
Meanwhile, polling by YouGov suggested Mr Burnham would be Labour members’ preferred candidate for leader, with 47 per cent saying he would be their first choice for the job.
Some 31 per cent ranked Sir Keir as their first choice, followed by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner on 8 per cent.
Just 4 per cent ranked Mr Streeting as their first choice, with 57 per cent saying he was wrong to resign as health secretary and 15 per cent backing him in a head-to-head contest with the Prime Minister.
In a contest between Mr Burnham and Sir Keir, 59 per cent said they would back the mayor while 37 per cent would support the Prime Minister.
