Keir Starmer is facing mounting calls to resign as UK Prime Minister after the Labour government suffered a heavy setback in local elections earlier this month, particularly at the hands of Reform UK.
While Starmer has so far maintained that he wouldn’t quit, reports in British media suggest he could step down to pave the way for a leadership change. More than a fifth of the party’s lawmakers in the House of Commons have urged him to stand down.
But who is going to replace Starmer if he resigns? Many in the UK think it could be Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Andy Burnham is currently the mayor of Greater Manchester and is seen as Keir Starmer’s biggest rival in the Labour Party.
This is partly due to the 56-year-old being perceived as politically left-leaning, which has been a traditional Labour stance before Starmer came along and tried to position himself as centre-right to counter Reform UK’s growing popularity, a strategy that seems to have backfired spectacularly.
Burnham first needs to return to Parliament, where he could mount a challenge to Starmer’s leadership, potentially alongside others, including former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who confirmed Saturday that he would stand in any race if and when it is triggered.
As for Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor is known as the “King of the North,” and his Labour backers will hope that moniker reaps rewards.
The allusion to the popular Jon Snow character in “Game of Thrones” is a sign of respect, earned for Burnham’s fierce backing of northern England, its working-class culture and heritage. It projects an image that he’s not part of the London political establishment. For many northerners, that counts for a lot.
His three sizable mayoral victories since 2017 show he can win.
Before becoming the mayor, Andy Burnham was in the cabinet of Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. He then ran twice for Labour Party leadership, first in 2010 and then again in 2015, losing badly on both occasions.
Ending his 16-year tenure in Parliament yielded a more polished performer and a sleeker look. Suits and ties were largely replaced by a smart-casual look, often paired with sneakers. That may seem superficial, but it broke down barriers with voters.
More importantly, his stint as mayor made him a more effective operator and, arguably, the best communicator in Labour’s ranks.
His standing grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he became the de facto spokesman for northern England by constantly haranguing then-Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson over what he called a “London-centric” approach to the crisis.
What’s next for Any Burnham?
Andy Burnham would have to quit his job as Greater Manchester mayor if he wins a special parliamentary election in the constituency of Makerfield, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Manchester.
His route back to the House of Commons opened up on Thursday when Labour lawmaker Josh Simons said he would step down to make way for Burnham.
Though Burnham was blocked from running for a seat earlier this year, Labour’s executive body has said he can this time in the special election expected within weeks.
It will likely be a bruising battle and one of, if not the most, consequential special elections in UK history.
Labour has never ousted one of its leaders while in government, but there is a process.
If Burnham wins, he would either trigger a leadership contest or join one. To do so, a member of Parliament needs the support of a fifth or 81 of Labour’s 403 members. Starmer would automatically be entitled to run.
“We need to fix politics, to fix the economy, get the basics back under public control so that people can afford their rent, energy bills, etc. We’ve got to see this as a moment to reclaim the Labour Party, to save it from where it’s been. We can’t just carry on as we are,” Burnham told the BBC on Saturday.
Simons secured the seat by about 5,400 votes two years ago, but that was in Labour’s landslide victory of 2024, which swept the Conservatives out after 14 years.
Times have changed dramatically, and Labour’s recent battering came at the hands of the ascendant anti-immigrant Reform UK party on the right and, to a lesser extent, the eco-populist Greens on the left. All the wards in the Makerfield constituency were won by Reform in the local races.
Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, said the party would “throw absolutely everything at it”.
Others in the race
Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary on Thursday but did not directly challenge PM Keir Starmer, confirmed he would be a candidate in the likely leadership election.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he said.
Streeting insisted he had enough support to trigger a contest, but suggested he would “lack legitimacy” without Andy Burnham having a chance to return to Parliament.
Others said to be considering doing so are former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, defence minister Al Cairns and former party leader Ed Miliband.
