Andy Burnham Seeks Makerfield Seat as Labour Needs 81 MPs to Oust Starmer

11 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 14

Andy Burnham said he will seek Labour's nomination in Makerfield after MP Josh Simons agreed to resign, opening a route back to the Commons that would make him eligible for any leadership contest.
Wes Streeting's resignation as health secretary intensified pressure on Keir Starmer after Labour's disastrous local election results, though Streeting stopped short of launching a challenge.
Makerfield is not a safe handover: Labour held the north-west seat by 5,399 votes over Reform UK in 2024, and Nigel Farage said Reform would "throw absolutely everything" at the by-election.
Starmer is not expected to block Burnham this time after Labour's NEC barred him from a February by-election, but any formal leadership challenge would still need backing from 81 of Labour's 403 MPs.
Downing Street named James Murray as the new health secretary, while Angela Rayner said she had settled £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty and would not herself trigger a leadership contest.

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