LONDON — Britain’s political leadership faces a crisis, with the individual many believe could resolve it currently lacking the necessary qualifications for the position.
At least not yet, though a pathway has emerged for Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s well-regarded mayor, to attempt challenging embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The situation remains uncertain, with significant obstacles ahead.
Burnham must first secure a return to Parliament before he could launch any leadership challenge against Starmer.
The prime minister, who has pledged to continue leading, finds himself under intense pressure amid declining public support and criticism of his decision-making abilities. The Labour Party suffered significant losses in recent nationwide local elections. A major Cabinet official has already stepped down, while more than 20% of the party’s House of Commons members are calling for his departure.
At 56 years old, Burnham represents Starmer’s most significant potential challenger, largely because many view him as more politically progressive than the current prime minister.
Known by the nickname ‘King of the North,’ Burnham’s Labour supporters hope this title will prove advantageous.
This reference to the beloved Jon Snow character from ‘Game of Thrones’ reflects the respect Burnham has earned through his strong advocacy for northern England’s working-class communities and traditions. The image suggests he operates outside London’s political inner circle, which resonates strongly with many northern voters.
Since 2017, Burnham has secured three substantial mayoral election victories, demonstrating his electoral appeal.
However, his track record includes setbacks. Burnham served in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet between 2007 and 2010 but suffered decisive defeats in two Labour Party leadership campaigns — in 2010 and again in 2015. During those earlier efforts, his presentation appeared rigid.
Departing from his 16-year parliamentary career allowed him to develop more natural speaking abilities and a more polished appearance. Formal business attire gave way to smart-casual clothing, frequently including sneakers.
While this might appear trivial, it helped him connect better with constituents.
More significantly, his mayoral experience transformed him into a more skilled political operator and arguably Labour’s most effective communicator.
His profile rose during the COVID-19 outbreak when he effectively represented northern England’s interests, repeatedly criticizing Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson for implementing ‘London-centric’ pandemic policies.
Burnham plans to resign his mayoral position if he succeeds in a special parliamentary election in Makerfield, located approximately 20 miles west of Manchester.
His path back to the House of Commons became available Thursday when Labour Party member Josh Simons announced his resignation to create an opening for Burnham. While Burnham was previously prevented from seeking another available seat earlier this year, Labour’s executive committee confirmed Friday that he could participate in the special election, anticipated within the next two months.
This contest will likely prove intense and could rank among the most significant special elections in British political history. Burnham recognized this reality.
‘I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times,’ he stated when declaring his candidacy.
Simons won the seat by approximately 5,400 votes two years ago during Labour’s 2024 landslide that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
Circumstances have shifted dramatically since then. Labour’s recent defeats came primarily from the rising anti-immigrant Reform UK party on the political right, with additional losses to the environmentally-focused Greens on the left. Reform captured all wards within the Makerfield constituency during local elections.
Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, declared the party would ‘throw absolutely everything at it.’
Despite these results, Burnham can leverage his reputation for delivering results, according to Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London.
‘Andy Burnham is a big name in the northwest. There will be a lot of people who would like to see him get back into Parliament, not least to take down Keir Starmer,’ Bale explained. ‘In some ways, it’s a useful test for Burnham because if he can’t beat Reform in that constituency, then quite frankly, he’s not much use to the Labour Party as leader.’
Labour has never removed a sitting leader during their time in government, though procedures exist for such action.
Should Burnham obtain a House of Commons seat, he would need to either initiate or join a leadership contest. This requires support from one-fifth — or 81 — of Labour’s 403 members. Starmer, who has committed to continuing his fight, would automatically enter to defend his leadership.
Wes Streeting was anticipated to announce his leadership bid Thursday after resigning as Starmer’s health secretary and criticizing his former superior for failing to provide effective solutions to Britain’s numerous challenges. However, he refrained from making such an announcement and, in what appeared to acknowledge Burnham’s potential candidacy, instead advocated for a ‘broad’ range of candidates to discuss the party’s direction.
On Friday, Streeting endorsed Burnham, posting on X that Labour requires its ‘best players on the pitch.’ He did not, however, explicitly state his desire to see Burnham become prime minister.
In any leadership competition, both Burnham and Streeting could seek the position. Others reportedly considering campaigns include former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, defense minister Al Carns, and former party leader Ed Miliband.
Currently, all scenarios depend on the Makerfield outcome, which could produce dramatic consequences.
‘Were Burnham to win the by-election, it’s unlikely that Keir Starmer will actually stand in that leadership contest,’ Bale observed. ‘If Burnham fails, then Starmer might feel he has a chance against Streeting and Rayner.’
