ANDY Burnham will be Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, the party has announced.
Greater Manchester mayor Burnham used a slick campaign video to set out his vision after saying his attempt to win the Makerfield by-election was motivated by the need to “change Labour” before he was selected by local branch members.
In the video, soundtracked by a series of Manchester bands including Elbow, James and Oasis, Burnham said he wanted “a new path for Britain”.
The by-election was triggered by former minister Josh Simons quitting to make way for the Greater Manchester mayor to run for a return to Westminster and a possible challenge against Starmer.
Reform UK also announced its candidate as self-employed plumber Robert Kenyon, who has served as an army reservist and previously worked as a specialist technician for the NHS in Lancashire, will stand.
He ran in the 2024 election where he finished in second place, according to Reform.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “This by-election contest is now a David versus Goliath battle. This is ‘the plucky plumber’ taking on ‘open borders Burnham’. Only Reform UK can beat Labour in this by-election.”
In the Commons, the writ was moved for the Makerfield by-election, firing the starting gun for the contest likely to be on June 18.
Pollster Luke Tryl, director of More In Common, said Burnham’s candidacy could be worth a 20-point boost to Labour’s prospects in a seat otherwise “tailor-made” for Reform UK.
Tryl said the mayor’s popularity meant he started the race “narrowly ahead”, but added “anything could happen” during the campaign, with Burnham’s handling of a “change message” likely to prove vital.
He said: “Andy Burnham definitely wants it to be Andy Burnham versus Reform. If it’s Labour versus Reform, Reform win.”
Starmer has insisted he will not set out a timetable for his departure even if the mayor returns to Parliament.
If the Prime Minister does not resign, Burnham would need to secure the backing of 81 Labour MPs to mount a leadership challenge, potentially setting up a contest with Starmer for party members’ votes.
But on Monday night, one of Burnham’s supporters suggested the mayor would not seek an immediate leadership fight.
Leeds MP Alex Sobel told LBC it was not his “expectation” that 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 Burnham would be Labour members’ preferred candidate for leader, with 47% saying he would be their first choice for the job.
Some 31% ranked Starmer as their first choice, followed by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner on 8%.
Just 4% ranked Streeting as their first choice, with 57% saying he was wrong to resign as health secretary and 15% backing him in a head-to-head contest with the Prime Minister.
In a contest between Burnham and Starmer, 59% said they would back the mayor while 37% would support the Prime Minister.
Following a slew of resignations from the junior Government ranks last week in protest at Starmer's leadership, Streeting’s final remaining parliamentary private secretary, Steve Race, has quit his role at the Health Department.
