Andy Burnham launches campaign to return to Westminster – what he said

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAndy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, has launched his campaign to return to Westminster by contesting the Makerfield by-election on June 18, aiming to revitalise "tired" British politics. Burnham's move is widely seen as a potential precursor to a challenge for the Labour leadership against Sir Keir Starmer, though allies suggest he may not immediately pursue the top job if successful. In launching his campaign, Burnham criticised the current state of British politics and implicitly his own party's direction, stating, "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." The by-election follows a series of significant setbacks for Labour in recent elections across England, Wales, and Scotland, which has intensified scrutiny on Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. The Makerfield seat, previously won by Labour with a narrow majority of 5,399 votes, is expected to be a tough contest, particularly against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which performed strongly in local elections within the constituency, while the Liberal Democrats have also announced Jake Austin as their candidate. In fullAndy Burnham latest: Vote for me is a vote to change Labour, Manchester mayor tells Makerfield as he unveils sloganThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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