Sir Keir Starmer faced a growing battle to remain Prime Minister after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham appeared to have found a possible path back to Parliament.
Mr Burnham said he would seek permission from Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee to stand as the party’s candidate in a by-election in Makerfield.
He made the announcement hours after ex-minister Josh Simons said he would stand down to allow the former MP for Leigh a route back to the Commons.
“I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election,” Mr Burnham said in a post on X.
He added: “I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics.”
Mr Burnham did not say he would challenge Sir Keir if he gets back to Parliament, stating that he wanted to give “the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place”.
However, if he returns to the Commons, former Cabinet minister Mr Burnham would be seen by many Labour MPs as the strongest contender to take over from Sir Keir in No10.
He hinted at a bid to run the country as he said: “Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again.
“This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people.”
The development in Labour’s civil war came on Thursday afternoon after a day of drama which saw the resignation of Wes Streeting as Health Secretary.
As he quit the Cabinet, Ilford North MP Mr Streeting launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir’s leadership, saying: “Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift”.
He told the Prime Minister it is “clear” he will not lead Labour into the next election.
But he stopped short of announcing a bid for the top job instead urging Sir Keir to allow the “best possible field of candidates” to run to replace him in Downing Street, suggesting he could be in favour of including Mr Burnham.
A leadership contest looked inevitable as the number of Labour MPs calling on the Prime Minister to resign or announce a timetable for his departure was heading towards 100, though, more than 100 have also signed a letter backing him to stay as PM.
If a contest was triggered, it is not clear if Mr Streeting and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner would be among the candidates if Mr Burnham is a clear frontrunner.
They would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to enter the race.
Labour chiefs, including Sir Keir, blocked Mr Burnham’s previous attempt at a Commons comeback by stopping him being the party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which was won by Zack Polanski’s Green Party.
However, in a possible sign of his weakened authority including over the NEC, the Prime Minister signalled that he will not seek to block Mr Burnham a second time.
“Keir is focused on bringing the party together so it can tackle the issues facing working families,” said an ally of the PM.
Mr Burnham’s move is a gamble as he may not win the Makerfield by-election after the surge in support for Reform UK at the May 7 local elections suggested there may be very few safe Labour seats left, apart from possibly in London.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “We look forward to the contest and we will throw absolutely everything at it.”
An MP supporter of Mr Burnham said: “I think if we can get everything else to align, we have a fighting chance.”
Mr Simons won the Makerfield seat at the 2024 general election with a majority of 5,399 and 45% of the vote, ahead of Reform on 32%, the Conservatives on 11%, the Liberal Democrats on 7% and the Greens on 4%.
He gained 18,202 votes, with Reform getting 12,803, the Tories 4,379, the Lib Dems 2,735 and the Greens 1,776.
Labour’s majority in Makerfield of 5,399 is smaller than the one overturned by Reform at the Runcorn & Helsby by-election in Cheshire in May 2025, and is also smaller than the majority overturned by the Greens at the Gordon & Denton by-election in February 2026.
While analysis of the local election results from May 7 this year show that of the ten wards contested on Wigan Council that fall within the parliamentary constituency of Makerfield, either wholly or partially, Reform candidates won every single one of them.
