UK Labour Heavyweight Wins By-Election Landslide, Posing Threat to PM Starmer

A ruling Labour Party candidate, considered a potential contender for the British prime ministership, successfully entered the House of Commons on June 19 (local time), adding pressure to the already embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

According to the results of the parliamentary by-election held on June 18 in the Makerfield constituency of Greater Manchester, UK, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, running as the Labour candidate, secured victory with 54.8% of the vote.

The runner-up, Robert Kenyon of the right-wing Reform UK, received 34.5% of the vote.

Candidate Rebecca Shepherd of the far-right Restore Britain, a party founded by a former Reform UK member, received 6.8%, while candidates from the Conservative Party (2.2%), the Green Party (0.7%), and the Liberal Democrats (0.4%) received negligible support.

The by-election was a vote with only a single seat in the House of Commons at stake, and Makerfield, where the election was held, is an ordinary area with a history of coal mining and market towns.

However, despite being a micro-election, it drew immense national attention across the UK because it was tied to Mayor Burnham's potential return to the House of Commons.

This is because a victory in this election would allow Mayor Burnham to serve as an MP and use it as a springboard to challenge for the Labour leadership.

During his victory speech at the count, Mayor Burnham signaled his intention to run for the party leadership, saying, "I say to the Labour Party: this is our final chance to bring change. There will be no second chance."

He continued in his victory speech, "This is the moment of change, and we have the chance to turn the tide. We will forge a new path for Britain," making no secret of his ambition to run for prime minister.

Having served as an MP from 2001 to 2017 before taking office as Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, he earned the nickname "King of the North" for his strong leadership in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He has previously run for the Labour leadership twice but was unsuccessful.

The New York Times (NYT) noted, "Burnham, a northerner who projects an image of charismatic and easygoing optimism, stands in contrast to Starmer," adding, "His supporters hope he can rebuild the relationship between the Labour Party and voters."

In contrast to Mayor Burnham's high popularity, Prime Minister Starmer, who has been in office for less than two years, is struggling with historically low approval ratings.

In particular, following a crushing defeat in last month's local elections, senior government figures, including Defence Secretary John Healey and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, resigned in protest of his leadership, leading to growing calls within the party to replace the prime minister.

A Labour MP who watched the election results told Reuters that Mayor Burnham's victory means Prime Minister Starmer's ousting is inevitable, and that it is now only a matter of when and how.

An incumbent Labour prime minister has never faced a formal leadership challenge from within the party.

Following the vote count on Friday, Prime Minister Starmer posted a brief congratulatory message on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing Labour's victory: "Congratulations to Labour's new MP, Andy Burnham. Voters have chosen Labour's hope and optimism over division and hatred."

Meeting with reporters, he also claimed that he has delivered results since becoming prime minister, making it clear he has no intention of resigning voluntarily: "If there is a contest, I will stand. As I have said repeatedly, I am not just going to step aside."

Following the election results, allies of Mayor Burnham publicly argued that Prime Minister Starmer should step down to allow a smooth transition of power.

Mayor Burnham is expected to soon initiate the process for a leadership challenge in accordance with party rules.

With 403 Labour MPs currently in the House of Commons, a leadership contest can be triggered if a candidate secures the declared support of 81 or more MPs.

Unless Prime Minister Starmer resigns voluntarily, he will automatically be on the ballot in any leadership contest.

Meanwhile, in the Aberdeen South constituency in Scotland, which held a parliamentary by-election alongside Makerfield, Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden was elected.

The seat had become vacant after Stephen Gethins of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was elected to the Scottish Parliament last month.

This marks the first time in over 50 years that the Scottish Conservatives have won a Westminster by-election.

In the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry constituency, which also became vacant due to an MP moving to the Scottish Parliament, SNP candidate Lara Bird was elected, holding the seat for the SNP.

In both constituencies, the Reform UK candidates finished in third place.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.