Rival to UK PM says would seek to join any leadership race
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham speaks at the launch of his by-election campaign in Ashton-in-Makerfield, west of Manchester in north-west England on May 22, 2026. (AFP)
Popular British regional mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed he would seek to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he wins a parliamentary by-election and if a Labour leadership race is triggered.
Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester in northern England, is seeking to return to Westminster as an MP for the ruling Labour party in the key vote.
The veteran figure on the left of the party has been widely tipped as a possible successor to Starmer, who led Labour to a landslide victory in the 2024 general election but whose popularity has fallen in the polls.
