POLLS have opened in the crucial Makerfield by-election that could see Andy Burnham return to parliament to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
Andy Burnham is standing for Labour in the constituency and is set for a hard fight against Reform UK‘s Robert Kenyon.
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The former Manchester Mayor is hoping to return to parliament and oust Sir Keir Starmer Credit: PA
Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon is set to give Burnham a hard fight in the constituency Credit: Reuters
Polling stations opened at 7am this morning and will close at 10pm tonight ahead of the all important count.
A Burnham win followed by a victory in a subsequent leadership challenge could see the Labour government lurch to the left with Burnham in the top job.
Yesterday in a bid to stop that from happening, Sir Keir offered the former Manchester Mayor a “big job” in his government if he returns as an MP.
But the wannabe Labour leader flat-out rejected the PM’s ploy to keep him on side – signalling that he would look to take the PM’s job.
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The by-election could see the PM lose the top job Credit: PA
Polling stations opened at 7am this morning Credit: Reuters
Burnham allies said he was not interested in the offer, insisting “the benefit Andy has is the wind of change for not having been associated with the Government’s failings.”
And, yesterday a source in Burnham’s camp projected confidence in the former mayor’s ability to win the seat – insisting he was winning over voters in the constituency after weeks of campaigning.
Should Burnham win his spot in the Commons his allies are reported to be hoping for a “coronation” in which Sir Keir stands aside, rather than a leadership contest.
But the Prime Minister has repeatedly made it clear he has no intention of standing down and says that he will fight any challenge to his leadership.
Reports suggest several Cabinet ministers have had to be talked out of resigning early by Burnham’s camp to prevent the Government descending into chaos ahead of today’s crunch by-election.
Sir Keir may be forced into stepping down or accepting a leadership race if Burnham, who has been hailed “King in the North”, wins a seat.
Burnham could be our next PM with blessing of just 20,000 voters
By Jack Elsom, Political Editor
BRITISH politics is rarely simple and often ridiculous, but today’s Makerfield by-election really takes the biscuit.
The future leadership of the UK is in the hands of the voters in the Greater Manchester constituency, who have been presented with the most bizarre conundrum.
Want to get rid of Sir Keir Starmer? You are probably best voting for the Labour candidate, Andy Burnham.
You voted for the PM last time but have grown so fed up that you are now backing Nigel Farage? Careful, a vote for Reform might give Starmer a stay of execution.
You are a right-winger who likes the cut of Rupert Lowe’s jib? Voting Restore might just make way for a hard-left government.
You have to feel for those poor sods in Makerfield, and not just because a Team Burnham source told me they have knocked on every door in the constituency EIGHT times.
The Ring doorbells are out of battery, the novelty has worn off.
We can only hope these campaign footsoldiers went to the pub during last night’s England match.
By the time you read this, ballots have likely started dropping into boxes, each one potentially having a hugely disproportionate impact on the path the country takes next.
The smart money is still on a Burnham victory — he is popular in this part of the world — although allies tell me it is “far from comfortable” given the amount of moving parts.
Likewise a close aide to Nigel Farage tells me Reform are “definitely still in with a shout” of winning.
Yet, let’s assume the Manchester Mayor clinches the win and returns to Parliament as an MP, what happens then?
Burnham will not use a victory speech in Wigan town hall to launch his leadership bid in the small hours of Friday morning.
Nor, according to a close lieutenant, will he make his move even within 72 hours.
But a consensus is building that he will want to strike while the iron’s hot.
The former Manchester Mayor has his supporters in the party and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who resigned in a sensational political shake up last month has indicated he would be willing to trigger a leadership race.
Speaking last night Burnham said that “change is coming” to Westminster as a result of the by-election.
He said: “This is a chance to vote for change, for change in politics, for change in our economy, to vote for people, to make life better for people.
“It is a vote for Makerfield. It is a vote for hope.”
Burnham’s closest competitor, Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, may still steal the seat out from under him.
But polls have suggested the party is losing voters to Restore Britain, a party to its right with a more hard-line approach to migration and other issues.
Makerfield is one of three parliamentary by-elections taking place today.
The other two are in the Scottish seats of Aberdeen South, and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
They follow SNP MPs Stephen Gethins and Stephen Flynn standing down after winning elections to the Scottish Parliament in May.
