Andy Burnham proved categorically that he is a winner. A challenge to Sir Keir Starmer is now inevitable.
Just after 3 am, the Makerfield count in Wigan fell quiet. Labour had known their candidate was ahead, but there were still some stunned faces as he secured a whopping majority of 9,231 with a 54.8 per cent share of the vote. Burnham, not Starmer, is the electable and apparently unstoppable face of Labour.
Burnham lost no time in setting out his vision for leadership. This is a “final chance to change,” he warned his new colleagues in Westminster in his acceptance speech; it is a “turning point” for British politics.
Shorts
What happens next entirely depends on Starmer’s reaction. On Saturday morning the Prime Minister is likely to speak by phone to his newly-elected and most troublesome backbencher. Starmer will also pop up on camera with gritted teeth to welcome Burnham. No doubt he will say his rival has a great deal to offer.
