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. Education secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”.Wes 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.”The former health secretary’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.Mr Streeting 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".Bridget Philipson says Andy Burnham is 'strong candidate' but Starmer has her 'full support'Education secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”. “He’s been a great mayor in Greater Manchester. I’ve worked with him really closely on everything from SEND reform to skills, further education, so I know he’ll be a strong candidate in putting himself forward.”She added: “I’ll be campaigning for whoever the Labour candidate is in the by-election in Makerfield. That’s my responsibility.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 May 2026 08:34Pressure on Starmer ramps up as Burnham one step closer to challengeThe prospect of a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer is looming closer after Andy Burnham was cleared to run for selection in the Makerfield by-election. The Greater Manchester mayor is seeking to replace Josh Simons, who is standing down as an MP to make way for Mr Burnham to return to Parliament. Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), has granted Mr Burnham permission to stand in the selection process. Applications close on Monday and the NEC will endorse a candidate on Thursday. June 18 is thought to be the earliest date a by-election could take place.If he is successfully elected, Mr Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership. While Makerfield is typically a safe seat for Labour, the party expects a stiff challenge from Reform UK this time around. Mr Simons secured a majority of just 5,399 over Nigel Farage’s party at the 2024 general election. Since then, Labour’s polling collapse and Reform’s surge have seen their positions reverse.Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 May 2026 08:05Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data showsAndy Burnham has been cleared to stand in the upcoming by-election for Makerfield, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.Mr Burnham won approval of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to stand, having previously blocked him from running in February’s by-election in Gorton and Denton, on Friday. The decision comes a day after Josh Simons announced he would quit parliament to make way for the Manchester mayor to run in his seat.But one hurdle remains in Mr Burnham’s path to Westminster – winning the by-election against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.Read more here: Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 07:00Makerfield by-election is likely to be held in JuneIt has been reported that the Makerfield by-election will likely take place on Thursday 18 June, according to the BBC.It comes as the Labour Party has confirmed Andy Burnham will be included in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election, the party said.Labour is set to select their by-election candidate following a local hustings on Thursday 21 May.Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 06:00Union 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.Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 05:30Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 04:30Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 03:30A 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 Whittaker16 May 2026 02:30Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 01:32Trump warns it will be ‘tough’ for Starmer to survive as prime ministerDonald Trump has weighed in on Sir Keir Starmer’s political future warning it will be “tough” for him to survive as prime minister after a disastrous few days for his premiership.The US president claimed Sir Keir, who is currently facing immense pressure to resign following the fallout of Labour’s disastrous local election results, will struggle to remain in office unless he deals with immigration and energy policy.Read more here:Rebecca Whittaker16 May 2026 00:30