'I will stand, not going to walk away': Keir Starmer digs in as Andy Burnham win fuels Labour revolt

Andy Burnham’s landslide victory in the Makerfield by-election on Friday has sharpened the struggle inside Labour, with the Greater Manchester mayor using his return to parliament to position himself as a possible challenger to Keir Starmer.

Burnham won 54.8% of the vote, comfortably ahead of Reform UK’s 34.5%, according to Reuters. In speeches after the result, he argued Britain needed a “new path” and called the contest a “last chance to change", while setting out broad priorities covering affordability, utility bills, reindustrialisation, education and immigration.

Starmer, meanwhile, moved quickly to signal he would not give way. He told reporters that if there is a contest, “I will stand,” and insisted he was “not going to walk away".

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The knives emerge from the velvet drawer

The result has triggered an unusually public round of manoeuvring among Labour MPs, ministers and aides. About a quarter of Labour lawmakers have already urged Starmer to quit since the party’s poor local election results last month, while senior colleagues, including the defence and health ministers, have resigned.

Allies of Burnham and Wes Streeting are expected to spend the weekend pressing cabinet ministers, friends and Labour grandees to persuade Starmer not to fight a leadership challenge, with one MP saying about 200 Labour MPs could be ready, if necessary, to sign Burnham’s nomination papers.

Starmer has told colleagues he wants to fight on, but senior Labour sources told The Guardian that if he does not resign over the weekend or indicate he would permit a transition, an intervention could come at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

Gentle words, weighty intentions

Among those pushing for a managed transition, former transport minister Louise Haigh said she hoped Starmer and Burnham could “speak soon” and agree on “a way forward".

She described the party as being in an “existential crisis” after the local elections and said she did not believe Starmer could take Labour into another national contest. She was quoted calling for Starmer to avoid what she described as a “brutal and unpleasant” leadership contest, while an ally close to the Burnham campaign said the prime minister needed to “get it out of his system” before reaching the “inevitable” conclusion.

Streeting, another possible rival, has said a contest should go ahead but only in a restrained manner. He wants a challenge soon unless Starmer names a departure timetable, while Streeting’s supporters believe Burnham should still be tested in an accelerated contest.

The crown remains contested

Burnham has so far not declared an immediate challenge, but his own remarks left little doubt that he sees his return to parliament as a platform for change.

He told supporters Britain needed fundamental change “from its economy to its immigration system, to education and industry" and said voters in Makerfield had “told us what they want.

Now we will deliver it.” Starmer, for his part, has framed the looming fight as a matter of stability, warning that a leadership contest would plunge Labour and the country into chaos.

Under party rules, a challenger would need the backing of 20% of Labour’s parliamentary party, or 81 lawmakers, to trigger a contest. For now, both camps are preparing for a confrontation that could determine not only Labour’s next leader, but also the party’s direction before the 2029 general election.

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FAQs

Q1: Who is Andy Burnham and why is he challenging Keir Starmer?

Ans: Andy Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester whose return to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election has fuelled speculation about a Labour leadership challenge to Keir Starmer.

Q2: Can Keir Starmer be removed as Labour leader?

Ans: Yes, under Labour Party rules, a challenger must secure support from 20% of Labour MPs to trigger a leadership contest.