‘Astonishing’ win for Andy Burnham puts pressure on Starmer to step aside

Andy Burnham's resounding victory in the Makerfield by-election has intensified pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer, with allies of the Greater Manchester mayor calling for an immediate leadership transition.

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Keir will fight on.

Hours before polls closed, a Downing Street source acknowledged uncertainty about Starmer's future, stating, "Keir will fight on," but adding that it "might depend on the size of the majority." Burnham's win proved so decisive that his supporters believe he could be installed as leader within days. Louise Haigh, a Labour MP involved in Burnham's campaign, urged Starmer to consider an "orderly and managed transition," emphasizing the party's "existential crisis."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hailed Burnham's win as "astonishing" and "emphatic," asserting he is the "only Labour politician in the country that could have pulled off that result." She believes the victory demonstrates that "you can beat hate and division and anger and despair."

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I hope that [Starmer] will consider an orderly and managed transition. We have said that the party is in an existential crisis and things cannot continue.

Burnham's campaign aimed not only to return to Westminster but also to prove that the Reform UK party can be defeated, even in seats where they have strong support. Makerfield was the seventh closest seat for Reform UK in the 2024 general election, and the party had won more than half the vote there in recent local elections. Burnham secured 54% of the vote in the by-election, finishing approximately 20 percentage points ahead of Reform UK, and crucially, surpassing the combined votes of Reform UK and Restore Britain.

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Andy has potentially shown tonight what change the Labour party can bring.

Attention now shifts back to Westminster, with Burnham's allies hoping for a harmonious power change rather than a leadership contest. They claim Burnham has enough support among MPs to trigger a contest, but prefer Starmer to voluntarily step aside. Allies indicated they do not want ministers to resign over the weekend, signaling a desire for a smooth transition.

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That wasn’t just a win, that was an emphatic win … It was an astonishing share of the votes, and I think it shows that you can beat hate and division and anger and despair.