Key facts
- Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to resign from within his cabinet.
- Several ministers, including Heidi Alexander, Ed Miliband, Shabhana Mahmood, and Yvette Cooper, have reportedly urged Starmer to set a departure timetable.
- Burnham's victory has spurred expectations of a leadership challenge.
- Burnham consulted economists to bolster his economic credentials.
- Burnham committed to retaining Rachel Reeves' fiscal rules during his campaign.
Andy Burnham secured an emphatic victory in the Makerfield by-election, a result that has intensified speculation about a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership. Burnham defeated Reform UK's Robert Kenyon by 9,231 votes, widening Labour's vote share in the constituency by 9.6%.
Following the win, several senior ministers have reportedly urged Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander is among those who have reportedly made this call, with Energy secretary Ed Miliband and Home secretary Shabhana Mahmood having previously urged Starmer to resign. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has also reportedly told Starmer he should set out a timetable for his departure.
Starmer is expected to speak with cabinet ministers over the weekend to discuss the party's future, with one cabinet member telling the Financial Times that the number of ministers present at Tuesday's cabinet meeting could indicate Starmer's standing. Burnham is scheduled to meet with Starmer early next week, with allies claiming he will present the Prime Minister with a list of 200 MPs who would support him in a leadership contest, which requires the backing of 81 MPs to be triggered.
Burnham sought advice from economists, including former OBR chair Richard Hughes, ex-Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane, and former Treasury minister Jim O'Neill, to bolster his economic credentials. He has committed to retaining Rachel Reeves' fiscal rules, which aim to put the current budget on course for balance or surplus within three years, having previously faced criticism for remarks about the government being "in hock" to bond markets.