Manchester mayor launches by-election bid with pledge to reshape Labour from within

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, seen as a potential challenger to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, declared that British politics “needs a new script” as he launched his campaign for the Makerfield by-election in northwest England, telling supporters that “hope is in the air.”

Welcomed by supporters at the launch event, Burnham said: “This means the world to me.”

“Hope is in the air, can you feel it?” he said. “This is not business as usual. This is not more of the same … British politics is tired. It needs a new script. And over the next four weeks, the people of Makerfield are going to write that script.”

Burnham framed his candidacy as an attempt to reshape Labour from within, saying voters backing him would also be voting “to change Labour.”

“I know my own party needs to change. We need to be better than we’ve been. We’ve not been good enough,” he said, adding: “I want to leave people in no doubt today, a vote for me in this by-election campaign is a vote to change Labour.”

He also said he would push Labour to commit to electoral reform in its next general election manifesto.

“I support electoral reform. Now, I know there’s different ways you can do it, but I believe any move in that direction is going to be good and I would want a commitment in the next Labour manifesto to introduce a proportional system,” he said.

However, Burnham ruled out changing the voting system before the next election, adding: “I think you’ve got to honor manifestos.”

Before any future leadership ambitions could materialize, Burnham would first need to secure selection as Labour’s candidate in Makerfield and then win the seat in the by-election.

If elected to parliament, he would require the support of 81 Labour MPs – 20% of the party’s 403 MPs – to trigger a leadership contest.

The Reform UK party has announced Robert Kenyon as its candidate for the by-election, while the Restore Britain party has selected Rebecca Shepherd.

Keir Starmer, as sitting prime minister and Labour leader, would automatically appear on the ballot in any future leadership contest should he choose to stand. He would also remain prime minister throughout the contest.

Starmer has said he intends to fight the next general election and dismissed speculation that his time in office could soon be coming to an end.