Andy Burnham will be allowed to stand in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election, taking him a step closer to challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party.The Greater Manchester mayor announced on Thursday he was seeking to return to Westminster, after Labour MP Josh Simons agreed to step down. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee has today given permission to Andy Burnham to stand in the candidate selection process in the forthcoming by-election for the Makerfield constituency.”Wes Streeting’s allies say he will run in any potential Labour leadership contest despite his glowing endorsement that Mr Burnham is Labour’s “best chance of winning” the Makerfield by-election.The former health secretary dramatically quit his ministerial role on Thursday and is now widely expected to mount a leadership challenge. Allies of Mr Streeting confirmed to The Independent: "Wes will be a candidate when the contest comes".Mr Streeting said the Makerfield by-election, expected to be a battle against Reform UK, “will be tough” as he touted Mr Burnham as one of Labour’s “best players.”Makerfield was once seen as one of the safest Labour seats in the country, but in the 2024 general election, Reform UK saw an increase in the vote share.Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 20:00Union boss set to back Burnham's bid to be a Labour candidate in MakerfieldThe general secretary of Usdaw said her union would back Andy Burnham’s bid to be Labour’s candidate at the Makerfield by-election.Joanne Thomas, who also chairs the Tulo group of Labour-affiliated trade unions, said: “There is a consensus building that it would be wrong for members in Makerfield to not have the opportunity to select Andy Burnham as their candidate for the Makerfield by-election.“Therefore, Usdaw’s NEC representatives have decided they will vote for the Greater Manchester Mayor to be allowed to seek selection as a parliamentary candidate.”Usdaw has two representatives on Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), including one who sat on the smaller officers committee that blocked Mr Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 May 2026 19:45'Labour's chaos has created this by-election'- Kemi BadenochKemi Badenoch has said that despite it being “not convention” for parties to pay for by-elections, “it is quite clear that this by-election has been created because of Labour’s chaos”. Her comments come after data suggests the combined costs of running a mayoral election in Greater Manchester and the by-election in Makerfield which could allow Andy Burnham a return to Westminster may reach £5 million. Speaking to the Press Association at an electrical engineering manufacturer in her constituency of Saffron Walden on Friday, the Tory leader said: “It is not convention that parties pay for by-elections, but it is quite clear that this by-election has been created because of Labour’s chaos and other protest parties will exploit this. “We’re going to spend a lot of time talking about by-elections and Westminster bubble issues, instead of the things that matter to the country.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 May 2026 19:30MP backs NEC decision to allowing Andy Burnham to runEaling Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has said it was the “right decision” to not block Andy Burnham.In a post on X she wrote: “Right decision of Labour NEC to not block @AndyBurnhamGM Internal @UKLabour party democracy must be allowed to thrive Our members who pay their subs deserve respect and final say. Looking forward to campaigning in Makerfield!”Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 19:15Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 19:00Political expert says it's still not 'certain' Burnham will return to WestminsterIt is not “certain” that Andy Burnham will be returning to Westminster, political lecturer Dr Alexandra Meakin told the BBC. The lecturer in British politics at the University of Leeds explained the local election results showed “safe seats are a thing of the past” as Reform gained seats from Labour."A split of the left-wing vote between Labour and the Green Party could easily allow Reform to cruise to victory,” she said. Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 18:45A mayoral election in Greater Manchester and a by-election could cost £5 millionThe combined costs of running a mayoral election in Greater Manchester and the by-election which could allow Andy Burnham a return to Westminster may reach £5 million.The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said that the cost of the previous mayoral election in 2024 was £4,719,754.In the Makerfield ballot, the official responsible for overseeing the election has a budget of £226,208 to administrate it.Some £3,738 of this will be available to pay the lead official, the returning officer, for their time.The remaining £222,470 is available to pay for ballot papers, IT, staffing and other support to carry out the poll.Further costs to the public purse would be incurred via the postage costs each candidate is entitled to, which allows them to write to all voting households.Ministers revealed in 2016 that the average cost of running a by-election since 2010 was £228,964.Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 18:34London protest clash: Police brace for Unite the Kingdom and Palestine rallies amid FA cup finalLondon is bracing for an “unprecedented” policing operation this Saturday as the capital prepares for two major protest marches and the FA Cup final. The scale of the deployment is described as the largest in recent years.Thousands of police officers will be deployed across the city, supported by armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones, and helicopters, as the Metropolitan Police aims to prevent potential clashes between various groups.Heavy restrictions have been implemented to ensure the separation of Tommy Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally and the pro-Palestine Nakba Day event.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 May 2026 18:15Burnham approved to stand in by-election opening path to Westminster to challenge StarmerAndy Burnham has been given the green light to stand in a by-election that could see him return to Westminster to challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been cleared by the Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), allowing him to be included in the party’s candidate selection process for the upcoming Makerfield by-election.Read more here by the Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke:Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 18:00What does the NEC decision mean for Andy Burnham? Labour’s ruling body the National Executive Committee, has approved Andy Burnham to run for selection in the Makerfield by-election.If he wins the seat, it would make him eligible to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. But he first will need to be selected as the local party's candidate and he will need to win the seat. The current MP Josh Simons has announced he is stepping down to make way for Burnham.This is the NEC process which is yet to be finalised:Friday 15 May- Applications for candidacy open Saturday 16 May: 1pm- Deadline for prospective candidates to seek NEC permission During day - NEC officers determine permission applications Monday 18 May, 12pm- Applications close Candidate due diligence checks made throughout application period, concluding on 18 May During day - Selection panel longlisting revealed Tuesday 19 May - Selection panel shortlisting interviews Thursday 21 May - Hustings and selection meeting; NEC endorsement of candidate Rebecca Whittaker15 May 2026 17:56