Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham launched his campaign for the upcoming Makerfield by-election, with a thinly veiled pitch for the keys to Downing Street16:28, 22 May 2026Updated 16:29, 22 May 2026Andy Burnham has said tired British politics "needs a new script" as he told voters in a critical by-election that backing him is "a vote to change Labour".‌The Greater Manchester Mayor, who has long harboured leadership ambitions, launched his campaign to be MP for Makerfield on Friday, with a thinly veiled pitch for the keys to Downing Street. While he pledged to stick to Labour's manifesto commitments, he said there was room to be "more radical" within its confines.‌Mr Burnham dismissed calls for a wealth tax from potential leadership rival Wes Streeting but suggested landowners should pay more and said council tax should be reformed. He also repeated his previous support for scrapping inheritance tax in favour of a social care levy.‌In a speech to Labour MPs and activists at an event in Ashton-in-Makerfield, he said: “This is a change by-election. Politics in this country, 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, and it’s great that they’re going to get that chance.”He added: “I know my own party needs to change. We need to be better than we have been. A vote for me in this by-election is a vote to change Labour.”READ MORE: Andy Burnham live: Labour PM hopeful suggests 'care levy' to save NHS as he launches Makerfield bid‌Mr Burnham is widely expected to challenge Mr Starmer for the Labour leadership if he secures victory in the by-election on June 18. His allies have suggested he may not act immediately if he secures a return to Westminster, but he is seen as a major potential rival to the PM.He insisted the contest was not simply a stepping stone to power, telling supporters: "I live here. I have lived here for 25 years. My home is two miles over there. I love this place. I love the people of this place, but what I have inside is a burning sense of injustice that the proud communities of this place face a Westminster system that puts them at the bottom of the list.”‌But Mr Burnham faces stiff competition from Reform in the race, as Nigel Farage's party secured 50% of the vote in the wards up for grabs in the May local elections, while Labour got 23%.Speaking to journalists after the launch, Mr Burnham set out his stance on national issues, including immigration, electoral reform and taxation. He distanced himself from rival Wes Streeting's call for a wealth tax, and backed Labour's commitment not to hike VAT, national insurance or income tax.Asked by the Mirror if he would push for a wealth tax, he said: "I'm focussed on what we can do within the manifesto. And I'm fighting a by election that is very much focused on people here, not getting into arguments that are beyond the situation."‌But he called for reform of council tax, and said there was a case for lower business rates for hospitality businesses that bring life to high streets. He also argued for land owners to pay moreMr Burnham, a long-time supporter of electoral reform, said Labour’s next manifesto should commit to introducing proportional representation but ruled out changing the system before the next election. He said there was “space to be more radical” within the limits of Labour’s 2024 manifesto, including building more council houses and with rail renationalisation.He said he broadly supported Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's hardline immigration reforms, which have triggered alarm from some Labour MPs over the proposals to make it harder for migrants to settle in the UK. "We'll have to work hard to get the balance right, but the broad thrust of what she's doing is right," he said.Article continues belowMr Burnham also argued that net migration needed to fall further, saying immigration was being raised with him on the doorstep. The latest figures show a 48% drop in the last 12 months, the lowest figure since 2012, excluding the pandemic years.