Andy Burnham has won a landslide victory in the crucial Macclesfield by-election, paving the way for a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership. The former Mayor of Greater Manchester defeated Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon by a margin of 9,231 votes. The new hardline party, Restore Britain, finished a distant third.

In the election, the Labour Party secured 54.8% of the vote, while Reform UK received 34.5% and Restore Britain garnered 7%. Voter turnout stood at 58.75%, an increase of six percentage points compared to the last general election, with a total of 45,510 votes cast. In his victory speech, Burnham described the result as a potential turning point, stating that people had voted for change, for greater power for Northern Britain, and for the places often overlooked by Westminster. He termed this the “last chance” for the Labour Party to transform, warning that there would be no second opportunity. Tonight’s result offers a chance to build a new politics based on unity and hope—one that steers the country away from the path of divisive politics seen in the United States. Following what is being hailed as the most significant by-election in modern British history, it is widely expected that Burnham will contend for the premiership at Downing Street when the formal leadership contest begins in the coming days. Burnham secured 6,100 more votes than the combined total of Reform and Restore, significantly boosting his standing among Labour MPs and party members.

Congratulating Burnham on the victory, Starmer remarked that voters had chosen Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hatred. The former Health Secretary appears to have garnered support from an anti-Reform coalition spanning the political spectrum; the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties collectively secured only 3% of the vote—a sharp decline from the 22% they had jointly achieved in this constituency in 2024. Burnham, known as the ‘King of the North’—who was first elected to Parliament 25 years ago and served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown—has vacated the Greater Manchester mayoral post to become an MP. Consequently, the Labour Party now faces another tough electoral battle against Reform UK. This by-election, involving two million voters, is set to be one of the most significant in British political history and could take place on July 30. The path to this by-election was cleared when Josh Simons, the then-Labour MP for Makersfield, agreed to resign last month, allowing Burnham to contest the seat and challenge Starmer’s weak leadership. Calls for the Prime Minister’s resignation had been mounting following the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as the British Ambassador to the US, as well as the loss of over 1,200 local council seats and control of the Welsh Senedd in last May’s elections.

However, Starmer has stated that he will not resign and is prepared to face any challenge. Cabinet Minister and MP for Wigan, Lisa Nandy, described this victory as ‘making history.’ Former Cabinet Minister Louise Haigh, who was closely involved in Burnham’s campaign, expressed hope that Keir Starmer would do what is best for both the country and the Labour Party. This result deals a major blow to Reform UK, given that they had won every council ward in the Makersfield area during last month’s local elections, securing nearly half of the vote—whereas Labour had garnered only a quarter. Yet, Burnham’s resounding by-election victory demonstrates that the Labour Party has succeeded in winning back the hearts of voters in its traditional stronghold.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC, The Independent