WorldAndy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Manchester mayor is a favourite to win in potential leadership contestThe Associated Press · Posted: Jun 19, 2026 12:01 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 minute agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Andy Burnham won a byelection to become the next MP for the riding of Makerfield in Britain. The victory cements the status of Burnham as the leading contender to replace Keir Starmer as leader of Britain's Labour Party and the country. (Temilade Adelaja/Reuters)Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfield for the Labour Party in northwest England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK . The victory announced Friday cements the status of Burnham as the leading contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country.Burnham's victory speech left no doubt that he wants to lead the country, and not just be one of the more than 400 Labour lawmakers in the 650-seat House of Commons."Everyone knows that politics isn't working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point."He said Labour had "a final chance to change" and win back voters' trust."But it is a chance now, from this result tonight, to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divisive, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States," he said.Starmer's popularity declinesStarmer's popularity has cratered since he led the centre-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States. WATCH | Starmer vows to stay on as leader:British PM Keir Starmer defies calls to step downMay 11|Duration 1:59Facing a string of local election losses for his Labour Party, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushed back against calls for him to step aside by promising change, though analysts say his speech was unlikely to silence his critics.A dismal performance in May's local elections spurred scores of Labour lawmakers to demand Starmer's resignation. He has refused to budge, but senior colleagues are trying to force a change. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary in May, saying that "where we need vision, we have a vacuum." Then Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election and give Burnham the chance to return to Parliament.Britain's parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders midterm, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a national election. Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they have backing from a fifth of the party's House of Commons lawmakers.Streeting said Tuesday that he hopes Starmer will agree to step down, but that if he doesn't, "there will need to be a contest, and I would be prepared to do that."