Andy Burnham returns to Westminster after winning Makerfield byelection

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield byelection, securing his return to parliament and positioning himself as the Labour politician most likely to challenge Keir Starmer for the party's leadership.

Burnham secured 55% of the vote, a comfortable lead over Robert Kenyon of Reform UK, who came second with 35%. The by-election had been triggered specifically to give Burnham a path back into Westminster, after he was previously blocked by Labour's National Executive Committee from standing in an earlier contest. 

The result comes against a backdrop of deindustrialisation and economic disparity in the area, compounded by the cost-of-living crisis and rising concern over immigration, in a seat that has voted Labour for over a century. Reform UK's support in Makerfield has been climbing steadily, with 65% of the electorate having voted to leave the EU in 2016. 

Burnham is closely associated with Manchester's LGBTQ+ community and has previously spoken at Pride events in the city, including engagements supporting Manchester Village Pride. His return to Westminster is being widely read as the clearest signal yet of an eventual leadership challenge to Starmer, whose own position has weakened considerably amid Labour's struggles against Reform UK in recent contests.

The result will be watched closely by LGBTQ+ organisations and advocates given the starkly different records of the parties involved. Reform UK has consistently opposed LGBTQ+ rights measures, while Burnham's mayoralty in Greater Manchester has been associated with visible support for the city's queer communities.