Andy Burnham’s emphatic by-election win in Makerfield has thrown the Labour Party into turmoil, with more than 100 MPs now calling on Sir Keir Starmer to resign and the prime minister himself “reflecting on the political realities” of his position.
Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, secured 24,937 votes – nearly 55% of the vote – giving him a majority of 9,231 over Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, who came second with 15,696. The result was a landslide larger than Labour’s 2024 general election majority in the seat, and it immediately reignited questions about Starmer’s leadership.
“Andy Burnham's landslide by-election win triggers over 100 Labour MPs to call for Keir Starmer's resignation.”
In his victory speech, Burnham declared the night “could, just could, be a turning point” and warned his own party: “This is a final chance to change.” He added that Makerfield “will never be a stepping stone to me but instead will be my touchstone.”
The scale of the defeat for Reform – which had hoped to humiliate Burnham – was underlined by the performance of the hard-right Restore party, whose candidate Rebecca Shepherd won just 3,111 votes. The Conservatives lost their deposit, polling under 1,000 votes.
Starmer, who earlier insisted he would stand in any leadership contest, is now under intense pressure from his own side. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander urged him to set out a plan to leave office in a private conversation, while former Labour deputy leader Baroness Harman warned ministers could not be left “in a state of paralysis all through the summer.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle, sent to represent the government on Sunday talk shows, said the prime minister was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges, and opportunities that he finds himself in.” Asked if Starmer might resign, Kyle replied: “I don’t know for fact what the next few days will entail.”
Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice claimed voters had backed Burnham “to guarantee that the prime minister is ousted.” Starmer, however, insisted the “tide is turning on Reform” and argued his government was delivering on its 2024 mandate.
Thursday’s other by-elections produced mixed results: the Scottish Conservatives won Aberdeen South, their first Westminster by-election victory in more than 50 years, taking the seat from the SNP. The SNP held Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
Burnham, joined at a victory rally by Labour MPs including former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, said politics “isn’t working” and pledged not to abandon Makerfield. His next move is expected to be resigning as Greater Manchester mayor, triggering a swift mayoral by-election.
With speculation mounting that Starmer could set out a timetable to quit as early as Monday, Burnham’s allies have increased calls for a “managed way forward” to avoid a bruising contest. The prime minister himself has warned that a leadership battle could end up “tearing apart our party and our movement.”