Starmer plans to take on rival Burnham in challenge for UK Labour leadership

By — Kwiyeon Ha, Associated Press Kwiyeon Ha, Associated Press By — Jill Lawless, Associated Press Jill Lawless, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/starmer-plans-to-take-on-rival-burnham-in-challenge-for-uk-labour-leadership Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Starmer plans to take on rival Burnham in challenge for UK Labour leadership World Jun 19, 2026 9:18 AM EDT ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, England (AP) — Labour's Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, won a special election for a seat in Parliament and signaled Friday that he will use it to challenge embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the country. Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwestern England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK. He called his victory a chance for Britain "to turn the tide." The result cements the status of Burnham, a 56-year-old politician nicknamed the King of the North, as the top contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country. Burnham won almost 55% of the 45,510 votes cast for a field of more than a dozen candidates, over 9,000 more than runner-up Kenyon. READ MORE: Publication of additional Mandelson files brings more bad news for Keir Starmer Burnham's acceptance speech left no doubt that he wants to lead the country, and not just be one of the more than 400 Labour lawmakers in the 650-seat House of Commons. "Everyone knows that politics isn't working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point." Starmer congratulated Burnham, writing on X that voters "chose Labour's campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate." But the prime minister insisted he would fight any attempt to oust him. "Yes, I will run, I will stand," if there is a Labour leadership contest, Starmer said. "I've said repeatedly I'm not going to walk away from that." Burnham says he's the candidate of change Burnham has led Manchester since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. He is pledging to repeat his signature brand of "Manchesterism" on a national scale. Burnham said he would work to ensure that "the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs." Former Greater Manchester Mayor and newly elected Makerfield MP Andy Burnham addresses members and supporters of the Labour Party after he won the Makerfield by-election, at the Bartons Group Stadium in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Britain, June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja He told supporters and campaign workers on Friday that "we are going to lay out a new path for Britain." "We need an economy that works for everybody, not a few in far-off places from here," he said. "We have an opportunity to turn the tide, to make the country feel like it's working again, to make people see t