Senior Labour figures react to Andy Burnham’s Makerfield by-election win
They highlight Burnham’s victory as a catalyst for internal renewal
Andy Burnham's success in the Makerfield by-election has prompted significant reactions from key figures within the Labour Party, with many interpreting the win as a chance for renewal.
The Prime Minister acknowledged Burnham’s win as a rejection of division, stating it reflects "hope and optimism over division and hate."
Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Burnham, amidst discussions about potential leadership challenges within the party.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed, a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer, welcomed Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election but said Labour should now be focused on replacing him as mayor of Greater Manchester, rather than a leadership fight.
Mr Reed said he was “delighted” by the Labour candidate’s victory in Makerfield. Asked by Times Radio what would happen next, the Communities Secretary replied: “First of all, I think Andy’s going to need a bit of family time because by-elections are incredibly stressful and intense, but what will happen next is Andy is no longer the mayor of Greater Manchester, so there will be a by-election for that position.
“We saw from the result in Makerfield this is going to be a straight Labour-Reform fight. We cannot risk the biggest regional politician in England going over to Reform because of all the division that they would want to sow across the north-west of England, all the damage that they will want to do.
“So all of us in the party celebrate Andy’s victory now, but we need to come together and make sure we win that by-election for the next mayor of Greater Manchester.”
Asked if he believed Mr Burnham would be better at delivering Labour’s agenda in Government than Sir Keir, Mr Reed said: “There is no one person that can make the challenges of Government easier. We’ve got to get the balance right between growing the economy and investing in our public services that were broken.”
The former health secretary Wes Streeting, signalled he wants to see Sir Keir Starmer ousted following the vote.
Writing on social media site X, Mr Streeting said: “Huge congratulations to Andy Burnham on an astonishing victory in Makerfield, where Labour lost badly only weeks ago.
“It gives us all hope that Labour can still win, but Andy’s campaign is proof that to do so we need to change.
“Enormous thanks to everyone involved.”
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said he was “disappointed” with the party’s vote share as it came second to Labour in the Makerfield by-election and urged people who voted for Restore Britain to “think again”.
The Green Party said it would be “campaigning hard” to win the Greater Manchester mayoralty to succeed Andy Burnham in the wake of his victory in the Makerfield by-election.
Andy Burnham won the seat with a majority of over 9-thousand votes - setting up a potential battle with Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party.