Journal De Bruxelles - Burnham wins key UK poll, paving way for bid to challenge PM Starmer

Burnham, a former government minister who has been Greater Manchester mayor since 2017, ensured his return to parliament by easily beating the hard-right Reform UK party's candidate in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England.

The 56-year-old longtime figure in centre-left Labour has indicated he will challenge Starmer for the party's leadership, and to be prime minister, and needed to win the high-stakes vote to be in a position to trigger such a contest.

If Starmer does leave office this year, then Britain will get its seventh prime minister in 10 years.

"I do say to my own party, this is a final chance to change," Burnham said in his acceptance speech after securing nearly 55 percent of the vote, beating Reform's Robert Kenyon by more than 9,000 ballots.

"This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it, and we must get it right. There will be no second chance."

Burnham added: "But it is a chance now, from this result tonight".

Starmer, in office since July 2024, has been clinging to power since Labour suffered a drubbing in polls in England, Scotland and Wales last month.

- 'King of the North' -

He has been rocked by several policy U-turns and a scandal over his appointment of ex-Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington.

Dozens of Labour MPs have called on Starmer to quit, and several ministers have resigned, as national surveys suggest Reform would win the next general election, expected in 2029.

But the 63-year-old ex-lawyer has refused to quit, insisting his landslide election victory over the Conservatives 23 months ago gave him a five-year mandate to govern.

Amid growing impatience within the centre-left ruling party, now-former Labour MP Josh Simons stood down in Makerfield so that Burnham could try to return to parliament and run for leader.

The unprecedented move thrust the little-known political district into the spotlight, handing its electorate of roughly 77,000 people an outsized say in influencing Starmer's fate.

Surveys show that Burnham -- nicknamed the "King of the North" for winning three consecutive mayoral terms -- is Labour's most popular politician and would win a direct vote against Starmer amongst the party membership.

Thursday's vote for the Makerfield seat, where Labour had held a majority of just 5,300 votes, was seen as a test case of whether Burnham is able to defeat Reform, led by anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage.

The area is predominantly white and working-class, making it fertile territory for the hard-right group, which has led Labour in national surveys for well over a year.

Local plumber Kenyon's campaign was dogged by past offensive remarks about women, while the fringe hard-right Restore Britain party dented Reform's vote by taking just over 3,000 votes.

- 'Change' -

Turnout was 59 percent, the highest in a by-election for seven years, with more than 45,000 votes cast.

Burnham, an MP from 2001 to 2017, hails from Labour's so-called soft-left wing and has been an outspoken critic of Starmer's more-centrist rule.

All eyes now turn to when he will make his move against Starmer, as Labour will now also face a tough fight to replace him as mayor.

Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of parliament on Monday. Under Labour party rules, leadership candidates must be an MP.

He will be able to easily muster the support of 81 of Labour's 400-plus MPs -- the minimum needed to kickstart a contest.

Starmer has repeatedly said he will fight any challenge, but Burnham allies are hopeful ministers can persuade the premier to step down instead.

On Wednesday, Starmer said he was willing to offer Burnham a "big role" in his government, as he tried to ward off the expected challenge, an idea reportedly rejected by Burnham's team.

Ex-health minister Wes Streeting, from Labour's right wing, has said Starmer should be given "space over the weekend" to consider his future.

Streeting has also vowed to join any race for the top job but could end up striking a deal with Burnham to avoid a divisive contest.

F.Dubois--JdB