Andy Burnham has won a special election to the British parliament, clearing a path for him to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the party leadership.
Burnham, Labour’s former Greater Manchester mayor, defeated the Reform U.K. party by more than 9,000 votes, taking nearly 55% of the vote, in the election in Makerfield, in north-west England.
He had vowed to challenge the beleaguered Starmer if he won the election.
A prominent figure on the party’s left often dubbed Labour’s “King in the North,” Burnham said in his victory speech that Makerfield was “not a stepping stone” but a “touchstone,” promising to put neglected communities at the center of his politics.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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