Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election, in a result that looks set to bring change across local and central government.
Now entering his second period in parliament, Burnham received 54.8% (24,927) of the vote, with Reform UK’s Rob Kenyon – who had stood in the 2024 General Election – following with 34.5% and Restore Britain’s Rebecca Shepherd receiving 6.8%. Burnham’s result saw Labour increase its majority by more than 4,000 votes.
The by-election was called when Josh Simons, who had been elected as the MP for Makerfield in the 2024 General Election, stood down to allow Burnham to become an MP. This came against the backdrop of challenges to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership, kicked off by the resignation of former Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Burnham had previously been blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election by the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.
As the inaugural Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham has held the office for nine years, overseeing a number of significant developments across the region. The most notable of these was the opening of the Bee Network, which brought integration across the region’s transport systems and has been held up as an example of how local leaders are best placed to bring transport improvements for communities.
Posting on his X.com account after his election was confirmed, Burnham said:
“A huge thanks to the people of Makerfield constituency for your patience and good humour over the last five weeks. My thanks too to the many volunteers who came up to support my campaign. We ran a very positive one and can be proud of it!”
Congratulations to Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Makerfield! pic.twitter.com/vfTDBt5RG6
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) June 19, 2026
Following his election, Burnham will now be required to stand down as Mayor, with an election for that role to be announced.
In terms of central government, this election could have a major impact on the leadership of the country. The initial by-election was kicked off so that Burnham can attempt to challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party, however it remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister’s position will be challenged.
Image credit: iStock
