Common Questions

Did Andy Burnham win the Makerfield by-election?

Yes. Burnham won Makerfield on 18 June 2026 with 24,927 votes (54.8%), a 9,231-vote majority over Reform UK's Rob Kenyon.Source: Lowdown uk-elections-2026 U#571

Will Andy Burnham become Labour leader without a members' vote?

With only Andy Burnham a serious contender and four senior figures endorsing him rather than standing, the NEC's timetable points to a 17 July Special Conference coronation rather than a members' ballot running to 29 August.Source: Lowdown uk-elections-2026 U#571

When did Keir Starmer resign as prime minister?

Keir Starmer resigned as Labour leader and prime minister on 22 June 2026, four days after Labour held the Makerfield by-election, saying he accepted the Parliamentary Labour Party's private verdict against him.Source: Lowdown uk-elections-2026 U#571

Background

The Labour Party was founded in 1900 as the political voice of the British trade union movement. Its signal achievements include establishing the National Health Service in 1948, the welfare state, and comprehensive secondary education. After eighteen years in opposition (1979-1997), Tony Blair's New Labour government won three consecutive majorities before losing power in 2010. Under Sir Keir Starmer, Labour won a substantial Commons majority in the July 2024 general election with 411 seats on approximately 34% of the vote. Labour is the principal centre-Left party of UK politics, with devolved branches in Wales (Welsh Labour) and Scotland (Scottish Labour) that enjoy some policy autonomy.

By May 2026 Labour faces an incumbency crisis without modern precedent. A YouGov tracker placed the party at 18% nationally, behind Reform UK at 25%. The net approval rating stands at -53%, with 48% of 2024 Labour voters disapproving of their own government. The 7 May 2026 local elections produced sweeping losses in England and a historic collapse in Wales, where Welsh Labour fell to 9 Senedd seats, ending 27 years of continuous devolved government. Former strongholds Sunderland and Wakefield fell to Reform. In London, Hackney and Lewisham councils were lost to the Greens. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned on 14 May, the first Cabinet-level departure, and the LabourList MP tracker recorded 96 MPs publicly calling for Starmer's departure against 103 signing a defence statement. The NEC approved Andy Burnham's candidacy for the Makerfield by-election on 18 June, which will establish whether a leadership challenger can enter parliament.

Burnham won the Makerfield by-election on 18 June 2026 with 24,927 votes (54.8%), a 9,231-vote majority over Reform UK's Rob Kenyon. Keir Starmer resigned as Labour leader and prime minister on 22 June, four days later, saying he accepted the Parliamentary Labour Party's private verdict that he was no longer best placed to fight the next election. The NEC's leadership timetable requires contenders to reach 81 MPs between 9 and 15 July; with Wes Streeting, Douglas Alexander, Darren Jones and David Lammy all endorsing Burnham rather than standing themselves, the party is heading towards a 17 July Special Conference coronation rather than a members' ballot running to 29 August.