Andy Burnham Wins Makerfield By-Election, Eyes Labour Leadership

LONDON, June 19 -- Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has won the parliamentary by-election in the northwestern English constituency of Makerfield, reclaiming a seat in the House of Commons and positioning himself as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour Party leadership.

Official results released early Friday showed Burnham, standing for the governing Labour Party, secured victory with 24,937 votes. Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon came second with 15,696 votes, followed by Restore Britain candidate Rebecca Shepherd with 3,111 votes and Conservative candidate Michael Winstanley with 997 votes. Voters went to the polls throughout Thursday.

Burnham, widely regarded as a formidable figure within Labour, indicated his leadership ambitions during a television debate earlier this month, stating he would seek to enter any potential Labour leadership contest if he won the by-election. Under Labour Party rules, he must now secure the backing of 81 Labour Members of Parliament, including himself, to mount a formal challenge to Starmer.

The 55-year-old politician first entered parliament in 2001 and served in several senior Labour positions. He made unsuccessful runs for the party leadership in 2010 and 2015 before leaving parliament in 2017 to become mayor of Greater Manchester. His return to Westminster revives his political career and sets the stage for a pivotal contest within the party.