Andy Burnham seeks Labour approval to contest Makerfield by-election

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said he will seek Labour Party approval to run in the Makerfield by-election in northwest England after the constituency’s MP, Josh Simons, resigned to clear the way for the vote. The decision, announced following Simons’s announcement on Thursday, sets up a potential route back to Parliament for Burnham, who is viewed by some within Labour as a leading contender to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.

Simons, elected for Labour at the July 2024 general election, said he was stepping aside to allow Burnham to return to the House of Commons. In a letter to constituents, he wrote: “I am standing aside so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for.” Simons cited work he said he carried out during his time in the role, including efforts on flood defenses, health centers and waste cleanup.

Burnham, who served as MP for nearby Leigh from 2001 to 2017, said he would frame his parliamentary bid as a continuation of his mayoral record. He pointed to measures including bus services being brought under public control and steps he has taken to...