STORY
Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield has intensified pressure on Keir Starmer, with Labour MPs and former ministers expected to consider whether to force a leadership contest. Around a quarter of Labour MPs had already called for Starmer to resign after the party’s recent local election losses.
Under Labour rules, a challenger would need support from 20% of Labour MPs in the House of Commons to trigger a contest. This would currently mean 81 MPs backing a single candidate, including the challenger, before members could vote in any leadership election.
Burnham has said that he would stand in any Labour leadership contest. Starmer has said he would contest any challenge and warned his party against creating political instability, but the scale of Burnham’s win has strengthened the position of those calling for a managed transition.