Andy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election, reviving Starmer challenge
What's next: Burnham could move against the prime minister for Labour's leadership after he is sworn in as an MP.
Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election in northwest England, returning to the British parliament and reopening the possibility of a challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer for control of the Labour Party. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and a leading figure on Labour's left, beat Reform UK by more than 9,000 votes and took nearly 55% of the vote, CNBC reported. He can seek a leadership contest once he is formally sworn in as a member of Parliament, a step that could come as soon as next week. In his victory speech, Burnham cast the result as a mandate to focus on neglected communities and called for a politics built on unity and hope.