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Andy Burnham will push to become PM before Labour conference, allies say

Andy Burnham is one of them.” It is still possible that he or other cabinet ministers could push for a full leadership contest rather than a Burnham coronation if he wins the byelection. Burnham

Burnham cleared to run for selection in pivotal by-election

Andy Burnham has been cleared to seek selection as Labour's candidate in a by-election which could pave the way for him to return to Westminster. The mayor has been given the go-ahead

Andy Burnham seeks advice from Sue Gray on forming future Labour government

Andy Burnham has sought advice from Baroness Sue Gray, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, on how to manage a potential transition into Downing Street if he returns to Westminster and succeeds the prime

Burnham says he would seek to enter any Labour leadership contest

Andy Burnham said he would seek to enter any potential Labour leadership contest should he win the Makerfield by-election on 18 June. The Greater Manchester Mayor also told BBC Question Time that he would

Andy Burnham: 'King of the North' with eyes on the top job

Andy Burnham is no stranger to Labour leadership contests. More than 10 years ago he ran twice, unsuccessfully, for the top job. Now he's backed by many Labour MPs as the party's best

Andy Burnham to make bid to return to Commons as pressure mounts on Starmer

Andy Burnham will attempt to return to the Commons as an MP, after Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary saying he had lost confidence in Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor

Burnham’s momentum builds in Makerfield as byelection nears

Andy,” says one. Outside on the terrace as they waited to get their canvassing instructions, MPs have begun to talk about the result and Burnham’s subsequent return to Westminster as a foregone conclusion. Talk

Personal decision for Starmer on whether to fight leadership contest, minister says

Andy Burnham to be "back in Parliament at the heart of power". Burnham is seeking to stand as Labour's candidate in the Makerfield by-election and is widely expected to launch a leadership challenge

Andy Burnham faces perilous race to win Makerfield byelection, allies say

Andy to get Starmer out, but the flip side is you’re saying to Reform voters that if they vote Reform they can finish the Labour party off for good.” ![Makerfield town centre](https://i.guim.co.uk

Pressure mounts on embattled UK PM Keir Starmer as rivals circle

result for the Labour Party last week. Starmer, who has been [dogged by controversy](/news/2026/4/20/uk-pm-starmer-admits-mistaken-call-on-mandelson-rejects-calls-to-resign) over the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to Washington, as well as [frustrations

Burnham team tell ministers to delay resignations to avoid chaos

Andy could hoover up nominations and – if he’s unchallenged – then in a week or two it’s job done.” At the G7 summit in Evian on Wednesday, Starmer indicated he would give Burnham

Farage blames Makerfield defeat on anti-Starmer votes

Andy Burnham's "emphatic" Labour victory over his party's candidate, Rob Kenyon, who finished more than 9,000 votes behind. He also conceded his party had also lost votes to rightwing rival Restore Britain

‘I’m not going away,’ says Keir Starmer despite defence secretary’s exit

Andy Burnham or others, saying: “I’m not going to go away.” He also suggested said that if Burnham did replace him in No 10, there would be a near-identical set of pressures

The small-town voters deciding the UK’s future are demanding change, our focus group found

Andy Burnham, [the Labour candidate who is hot favorite](https://www.politico.eu/article/andy-burnham-makerfield-rebirth-labour-man-of-the-people-leadership/) to succeed party leader Keir Starmer as PM if he can get himself back into Parliament, might make a difference. But the overwhelming

Farage suddenly returns to political stage – but dodges questions about £5m gift

elections](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2026/may/07/local-elections-2026-may-full-results-england-scotland-wales) on 7 May, taking 14 councils and more than 1,000 seats. But since then, [it has been losing ground to Restore Britain](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/29/reform-uk-restore-britain-lock-horns-makerfield-byelection-buildup) – an even harder right party

No 10 braced for ‘excruciating’ revelations as Mandelson files published – UK politics live

Andy Burnham. (See [12.22pm](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jun/01/peter-mandelson-documents-published-keir-starmer-labour-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6a1d62758f08cf8299b18ed1#block-6a1d62758f08cf8299b18ed1).) > double quotation markAndy wants to change Labour. I want to change Makerfield. > > That’s the difference. That prompted this reply [from](https://x.com/lukejcr/status/2061392828614189475) the Labour

Keir Starmer aides ‘war gaming’ over leadership contest with Andy Burnham

Makerfield campaign alongside planning for what might follow. They believe that in the first few weeks after a byelection victory, much of his time will be spent campaigning in the subsequent election

TUC leader ‘angry’ at state of Labour but says it can recover to win next election

results of the elections on 7 May were devastating for Labour and showed the country was on course for a Reform government unless there was radical change. But he said there was still time

‘He’s a natural’: Andy Burnham’s allies give his social media style a thumbs up

Andy doesn’t need to put on an act, whether that’s on the doorstep or on his feed. He just needs to live everyday life.” He points to Burnham’s [byelection campaign video

Starmer is not setting out timetable for his departure, says David Lammy

Andy Burnham wins next month’s Makerfield byelection and no other challenger emerges, Lammy insisted this was not being considered. “There will be no timetable for departure,” Lammy, who is justice secretary and deputy prime