Labour politician Andy Burnham on Friday won a key by-election that puts him in a position to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and ultimately the UK.

Burnham beat the hard-right Reform UK party's candidate in the Makerfield by-election in northwest England.

The veteran Labour politician won almost 25,000 votes while Rob Kenyon of Nigel Farage's Reform UK came second with over 15,600 votes.

Burnham says Labour has 'a final chance to change'

"Everyone knows that politics isn't working," Burnham said in his victory speech. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.

"I do say to my own party, this is a final chance to change," Burnham added. "There will be no second chance."

"But it is a chance now, from this result tonight, to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divisive, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States,” he said.

Possible candidate to replace Starmer

Burnham has been serving as the mayor of Greater Manchester, one of the UK's largest cities and a traditional Labour heartland.

Having now won a seat in the House of Commons, he becomes a frontrunner to possibly topple Starmer.

The Labour Party under Starmer performed poorly in May's local elections, with demands from within his own ranks to resign.

Labour lost more than 1,400 council seats around England, losing influence both to Reform UK on the populist right and the Greens on the populist left. 

Burnham will head to London to be sworn in as a lawmaker as soon as Monday.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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