Andy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, will soon head to Westminster after winning Makerfield by-election overnight.

He has held office as the metro mayor since 2017. He previously served as the Member of Parliament for Leigh from 2001 until 2017, holding various cabinet roles in that time. Burnham’s win effectively fires the starting gun in his reported leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. 

Reform UK were on the tails of Mr Burnham throughout the campaign, and nobody really knew who was going to win the seat until returning officer Alison McKenzie-Folan approached the podium just after three this morning. 

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This result is big. Andy Burnham was fighting the previous result in 2024, when Josh Simmons received 45% of the vote, with Burnham increasing Labour's support by 9.6% to 54.8% of the vote. 

Throughout the morning, those close to Andy Burnham were 'quietly confident' that he would win the by-election. Many news outlets reported that Burnham had won around two in the morning, based on what they saw in the hall.

Following the result announcement, we heard protests from other candidates before a Speech from Burnham

Speaking after his win and the protests, Burnham said: "Tonight could ... be the turning point", adding that "I promise to lead by example"

He repeated the phrase of his whole campaign, "I will always take a place first, rather than a party-first approach", an approach he has developed during his time as Mayor in Greater Manchester.

Speaking to his own party following his campaign, he said, "This is a final chance to change", echoing the mood of the public.

Burnham added, regarding the speculation that he will use his election as a way to Number 10, "it will never be a stepping stone for me, instead a touchstone".

He also acknowledged his ambitions, "I always knew one day I would go back to Westminster". 

A mayoral by-election process will also no doubt get underway on Friday, with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority previously stating that July 30th has been identified as the most suitable date.  The authority said the date was chosen to allow as many people as possible to take part in the vote. Around 2.1 million people are registered to vote in Greater Manchester mayoral elections, including about 400,000 postal voters.

The 56-year-old Evertonian will no doubt spend the weekend having a short rest before being sworn in to Parliament next week, and he will want to make sure Labour hold onto the Greater Manchester mayoralty in the coming weeks. But, in true Andy Burnham style, he ended the night with a Pint.

Andy Burnham says he’s going for a pint as he leaves the count in Wigan after his victory in Makerfield. pic.twitter.com/09SaArrkQR

— Kieron Clarke (@kieronishere) June 19, 2026

FULL RESULT

TURNOUT: 58.75%