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Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election in a result that could trigger a major new phase of turmoil inside the Labour Party.
The Greater Manchester mayor secured a decisive victory in the north-west seat, taking 24,937 votes and defeating Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, who came second with 15,696. Rebecca Shepherd of Restore Britain finished third with 3,111.
The result gives Labour a majority of more than 9,000 in Makerfield, strengthening its previous hold on the seat and handing Burnham a clear route back into Westminster.
Speaking after the result was declared shortly after 3am on Friday, Burnham said Makerfield had “voted for change” and rejected claims that the seat was simply a pathway to Downing Street.
“It will never be a stepping stone for me,” he said. “It will be my touchstone.”
Burnham said he wanted to put a “Makerfield test” at the centre of British politics, arguing that communities ignored by Westminster must now be treated with fairness.
His return to parliament now places direct pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, whose leadership has come under growing strain. Burnham has already made clear that he intends to challenge Starmer if he returned as an MP, setting up what could become a bitter internal battle over the future of the Labour Party.
Starmer has insisted he will not walk away from Downing Street or the mandate Labour won at the 2024 general election. But Burnham’s victory gives his critics a new focal point and puts a serious rival back inside parliament.
If Burnham succeeds in replacing Starmer, he would become the UK’s seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote, following David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Starmer.
For Labour, Makerfield marked Burnham’s return to Westminster with an increased majority and an immediate challenge to Starmer’s authority.
