Starmer insists he will stand in any leadership contest, following Burnham win

The primer minister said he had not yet directly spoken with Andy Burnham since his victory

The Prime Minister has insisted he will fight any leadership contest, after Andy Burnham won a by-election to return to Westminster (Isabel Infantes)

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026 - 11:44

David Lynch, Izzie Addison, David Hughes and Eleanor Barlow, Press Association

Keir Starmer has insisted he will stand in a Labour leadership contest, should one be triggered after Andy Burnham returns to Westminster following his victory in the Makerfield by-election.

The UK prime minister is under pressure to hand over power to Mr Burnham, who defied national trends to increase Labour’s share of the vote in a seat where Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made sweeping gains in last month’s local elections.