Starmer faces resignation pressure after Burnham wins Makerfield vote
Reports say Keir Starmer could set out plans to leave as Andy Burnham returns to Parliament after a decisive by-election victory.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fresh pressure from inside Labour after Andy Burnham won a by-election in Makerfield, giving a rival a direct route back into Parliament. Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported that Starmer is considering whether to quit within days as party figures assess his weakened position.
The reports said Starmer could announce a departure timetable as early as Monday. Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, is due to be sworn in as a lawmaker the same day after winning Thursday’s contest in the northwest England constituency.
The Observer reported on Sunday that Starmer was expected to resign on Monday and would outline the timing of his exit. The Sunday Telegraph also reported that Starmer was ready to leave, citing allies of the prime minister.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News on Sunday that Starmer had been speaking with a wide range of people after what Kyle described as a frank conversation with him on Friday. Kyle said Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in”.
Burnham’s win raises Labour stakes
Burnham’s victory has intensified Labour’s internal debate because he has signalled that he wants to challenge for the party leadership. In his victory speech, he said Labour had a “final chance to change”, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and AP.
Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported that Burnham nearly doubled Labour’s majority in Makerfield. The result was notable because Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, had won all of Makerfield’s wards in local elections last month.
Burnham defeated Reform’s candidate in the by-election, according to the same reporting. He is a former member of Parliament and served as a minister under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
If Burnham were to win the Labour leadership, he would become prime minister because Labour holds a large majority in Parliament, Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported. A Starmer resignation would produce the United Kingdom’s seventh prime minister in 10 years, according to the same reporting.
Months of pressure on Starmer
Starmer’s authority has been weakened by falling popularity, policy problems and scandals, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and AP. Labour’s poor showing in local and regional elections in England, Scotland and Wales last month increased pressure on him.
The fallout from those elections led Makerfield’s previous Labour MP to step down so Burnham could contest the seat, Al Jazeera, AFP and AP reported. The by-election then gave Burnham a parliamentary platform at a time when Starmer’s leadership is being questioned.
YouGov says 19 percent of British people have a favourable view of Starmer. The polling company ranks him as the ninth most popular Labour politician.
Starmer also faced criticism in February after revelations from files connected to Jeffrey Epstein involving Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States in December 2024, came to light, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and AP.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is among Labour figures reported to have urged Starmer to step aside, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and AP. Starmer has said he will resist efforts to remove him.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.