How can ‘King of the North’ Andy Burnham topple Kier Starmer to claim No.10? | Today’s news

Labor politician Andy Burnham sparked speculation of a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday after securing a landslide victory in a by-election in northern England that could add to continued political turmoil, Reuters reported.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester known as the “King of the North”, secured victory in the Makerfield constituency in North West England with 54.8% of the vote, comfortably ahead of Reform UK candidate Nigel Farage who won 34.5%.

Who is Andy Burnham? A look at his political journey

Born in Liverpool in 1970, Burnham is the son of a telephone engineer and a receptionist. He grew up in Culcheth, a Cheshire village near Makerfield. A native of Ireland, he attended public Roman Catholic schools and has spoken openly about his Catholic faith, including meeting Pope Francis in 2023, according to a report by The New York Times.

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Burnham won a place to study English at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, he followed a well-established path into politics, first working as a researcher for Tessa Jowell, the Labor MP for south London, before serving as an adviser to then-culture minister Chris Smith, the NYT reported.

After being elected to Parliament in 2001 as the representative for Leigh, a constituency near his home town, Burnham joined Tony Blair’s New Labor government as a junior minister.

He rose to Cabinet rank under Gordon Brown and served in several senior roles, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and later Secretary of State for Health.

After Labor lost the 2010 general election, Burnham ran for party chairman and came fourth. He tried again in 2015 and was the first front-runner, but lost out to the left-wing Jeremy Corbyn, in whose team he later served.

In 2017, Burnham left Parliament after deciding that his future lay outside of Westminster, and was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

What could a Burnham victory mean?

The size of Burnham’s victory in perhaps the most significant by-election in more than 60 years strengthens his position as a potential challenger to Starmer, whose ratings are among the lowest of any British prime minister.

Burnham has signaled that he wants to counter the rise of polarizing populist politics, saying his victory is a chance to turn away “from a path that is leading us to the kind of divisive, dark politics that we see in the United States.”

Attention is now focused on the timing of his move and whether he can persuade the prime minister to relinquish power without a potentially disruptive leadership contest.

Burnham hails win as ‘turning point’

In his victory speech, Burnham said the result could be a “turning point”.

“We have to hear it, we have to act on it and we have to do it right,” he said. “There will be no second chance.

Starmer, who said he would fight on, was quick to congratulate Burnham, saying on X: “Voters chose a Labor campaign of hope and optimism over division and hatred.”

Here’s what the polls show

Burnham, a 56-year-old career politician who has supported the nationalization of key public services and criticized what he called four decades of failed neoliberal economics, said he would stand in any contest to replace Starmer.

Opinion polls suggest Burnham would be the favorite in a Labor leadership election decided by party members, although some Labor MPs want to avoid such a contest altogether.

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If Burnham were to replace Starmer, Britain would have had seven prime ministers in just over a decade, the fastest turnover in leadership in nearly 200 years. The trend reflects growing public frustration with the repeated failures of successive governments to raise living standards, improve public services and tackle illegal immigration, Reuters reported.

Labor differences deepen as pressure mounts on Starmer

Two years after a landslide national election victory, Starmer, 63, is one of Britain’s least popular prime ministers since polling records began. Scandals, political reversals and accusations of indecision have derailed the implementation of the change he once promised.

About a quarter of his fellow lawmakers called on him to quit as Labor suffered heavy losses in local elections last month. Due to his leadership, senior colleagues resigned, including the ministers of defense and health.

Starmer this week insisted he would take part in any leadership contest and warned his party of the dangers of a potentially divisive leadership campaign.

But several Labor lawmakers said the scale of Burnham’s victory would force Starmer to consider stepping aside.

Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, a prominent Burnham ally, told reporters she expected the two men to speak soon. She ruled out leaving the cabinet but said she could not speak for others.

Burnham returns to London with momentum

Burnham will return to London, the heart of government, with the credentials of someone who can defeat the rebel Reform Party, one Labor lawmaker said.

Many in Labor fear that Farage’s poll-leading party will lose seats in the next election, due in 2029.

Another of Starmer’s rivals, former health secretary Wes Streeting, said this week he would soon force a contest if the prime minister did not announce when he would step down. He said Burnham’s victory was proof Labor needed to change, Reuters reported.

Party rules require 20% of the parliamentary party, or 81 lawmakers, to announce their support for a single candidate to trigger a leadership challenge.

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During the month-long campaign, Burnham projected himself as a leader poised for national office, often proposing policies that could form the basis of a future government. At the same time, he sought to calm investors’ fears by emphasizing his commitment to strict fiscal discipline.

Concerns arose after Burnham commented last year that Britain was “at the mercy” of bond markets, a comment that unnerved investors and sparked speculation that he could support higher levels of government borrowing. He has since claimed that his remarks were taken out of context and misinterpreted.

(With input from agencies)