Politics latest: Burnham handed two major boosts in bid to return as MP and challenge Starmer
Andy Burnham has been approved to stand in Labour's candidate selection for the Makerfield by-election, marking a step toward a potential leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. The Greater Manchester mayor's return to parliamentary politics faces a tough contest, particularly from Reform UK. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting has resigned as a minister and is expected to enter the leadership race, deepening internal party tensions.
- ▪Andy Burnham will be allowed to stand in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election.
- ▪Education Secretary Bridget Philipson called Burnham a 'strong candidate' but reaffirmed her support for Keir Starmer.
- ▪Wes Streeting resigned from his ministerial role and his allies confirm he will run in a potential Labour leadership contest.
- ▪Labour faces a difficult battle in the Makerfield by-election, with Reform UK expected to be a strong challenger.
- ▪Lucy Powell stated there will be 'no attempt' to block Burnham from standing as the Labour candidate.
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| Original publisher | The Independent |
| Canonical URL | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/burnham-starmer-labour-latest-news-politics-updates-b2977804.html |
| Publication time | Sat, 16 May 2026 07:37:29 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-16T07:50:17.689Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-16T07:50:17.689Z |
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Liveupdated{"lang":"en","timestamp":1778917049}NewsUKUK PoliticsPolitics latest: Burnham handed two major boosts in bid to return as MP and challenge StarmerGreater Manchester mayor to stand for Parliament again but will face tough competition from Reform UKMillie Cooke, David Maddox & Rebecca WhittakerSaturday 16 May 2026 08:37 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2977074To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/burnham-starmer-labour-latest-news-politics-updates-b2977804.html","title":"Politics latest: Burnham…
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