Burnham beat Reform UK by more than 9,000 votes in Makerfield, and within weeks Keir Starmer was out as Prime Minister. The by-election result was the moment many Labour MPs decided the party needed a new direction, and the pressure that followed ended Starmer’s time in Downing Street.
Burnham, the former Greater Manchester Mayor, entered Parliament by taking the seat near Manchester, a long-time Labour stronghold. The vacancy came up when Labour MP Josh Simons resigned. In his victory speech Burnham called the result a “turning point” and a “last chance for change”, and he spoke about working-class concerns and rebuilding trust in politics.
MPs turn on the leader
Economic problems, falling approval ratings and worries about Labour’s electoral prospects had been building for months. Makerfield gave doubters something concrete to point to.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander reportedly told Starmer he should set out a timetable for leaving, the BBC reported. Her spokesperson declined to describe the private conversation. Louise Haigh, a close Burnham ally and former Transport Secretary, said she wanted a “managed and orderly transition.”
Jo White, another Labour MP, urged Starmer to “consider his position very, very carefully” over the weekend. She wanted him to announce on Monday that Burnham would be the next prime minister, saying many voters no longer wanted Starmer in office.
Jess Phillips said Burnham had “earned the right” to put himself in front of Labour MPs. Still, she said a leader should come out of a proper contest, and she indicated she would back Wes Streeting in one. Peter Swallow, who had supported Starmer, changed course: after Makerfield he said it was time for the prime minister to resign, and he would vote for Burnham. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had pressed Starmer for a resignation timetable after Labour’s poor local election results. After Makerfield, the BBC reported, she had not spoken to him.
How Starmer got here
Starmer led Labour to a landslide in the 2024 general election, ending more than a decade of Conservative rule. His government then ran into trouble over its first two years. Many MPs feared the party was losing working-class voters and would face serious electoral damage if it stayed on course. Starmer decided to step down.
A fast turnover
Britain is set to get its sixth prime minister in seven years and its seventh in a decade. David Cameron quit in 2016 after losing the Brexit referendum. Theresa May resigned in 2019 when she could not get her Brexit deal through Parliament. Boris Johnson left in 2022 amid the Partygate scandal. Liz Truss lasted only 49 days after her economic policies rattled financial markets. Rishi Sunak then lost the general election amid high inflation.
The system makes this possible. Voters do not elect the prime minister directly; the leader of the party that commands a majority of MPs holds the job only while that backing lasts. If MPs fear a leader’s slump will cost them the next election, they can start choosing a replacement without a general election. Conservative MPs can trigger a challenge if 15% of them submit no-confidence letters. In Labour, a rival can contest the leadership with the backing of more than 20% of the party’s MPs and members.
