Andy Burnham confirms he will stand in Makerfield by-election: What are his chances?
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has confirmed that he will seek to stand as the Labour Party candidate […]
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has confirmed that he will seek to stand as the Labour Party candidate for the Makerfield by-election, giving him a potential route back to Westminster amid intense leadership speculation.
It comes after Josh Simons, the former Cabinet Office minister who is MP for Makerfield, announced that he is resigning to free up a seat for Burnham.
Simons said in a statement: “Today, I am putting the people I represent and the country I love first and will be resigning as MP for Makerfield. I am standing aside so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for.”
In what will now become the most significant by-election for the country, Burnham’s first hurdle to overcome is winning the seat.
So what are his chances?
In last week’s local elections, here’s how eight Makerfield wards voted:
Reform: 50.4%
Labour: 22.7%
Green: 10.9%
Conservative: 9.9%
Lib Dem: 3.8%
Other: 2.2%
It shows the scale of the challenge facing Burnham.
However, in the 2024 Greater Manchester Mayoral election Burnham won 62% of the vote in Makerfield.
This is no ordinary by-election, it is a vote with significant implications for the future of the country. Can Burnham, if selected, stop the Reform surge?
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