Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from within his own party after Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election triggered fresh calls for a change at the top of Labour.
The Prime Minister spent Friday battling to contain a widening revolt after Burnham secured 55 per cent of the vote in Makerfield, defeating Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon by more than 9,000 votes and dramatically strengthening his position as a potential successor.
The pressure on Sir Keir appears to be taking its toll. According to reports in The Times, the Prime Minister is spending the weekend at Chequers with his family while weighing up his political future amid the growing calls for him to step aside. Despite publicly insisting that he will fight any leadership challenge, the newspaper reported that allies believe he is now reflecting on his options as support for Andy Burnham continues to grow among Labour MPs and Cabinet ministers.
Burnham’s return to Westminster has immediately reignited speculation about Labour’s future leadership, with a number of senior figures now openly discussing how power could be transferred away from Starmer.
The former Greater Manchester mayor used his victory speech to signal his ambitions, declaring that Labour was facing its “last chance to change”.
He told supporters: “We are going to take that opportunity, and we are going to lay out a new path for Britain.”
The remarks were widely interpreted as a direct challenge to Starmer’s leadership and an indication that Burnham intends to play a far larger role in national politics.
Reports suggest Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander raised the issue of succession during a conversation with the Prime Minister on Friday, while several senior ministers have previously urged him to consider his future after Labour’s struggles in government.
Although Chancellor Rachel Reeves is understood to have offered her support to Starmer, divisions within Labour appear increasingly difficult to conceal.
Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, a close ally of Burnham, said she hoped to see a “managed and orderly transition” and argued that Burnham had returned to Westminster to change Labour “right to the top”.
Several Labour MPs have also publicly questioned whether Starmer can continue leading the party into the next election.
Jo White, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said the Prime Minister should use the weekend to reflect on his position and consider allowing a smooth transfer of power.
Peter Swallow, Labour MP for Bracknell, also indicated he now believed it was time for Starmer to step aside and back Burnham’s leadership ambitions.
Despite the mounting pressure, Starmer has insisted he will not resign.
Asked whether he would set a timetable for his departure, he said: “I was elected to serve my country with a mandate that we secured at a general election two years ago.”
He added: “If there is a contest, yes I will run. I will stand and I have said repeatedly I am not going to walk away from that.”
The Prime Minister has repeatedly warned Labour against descending into the sort of internal warfare that damaged previous governments.
Addressing party staff after the by-election result, Starmer said: “The one thing we’ve got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement.”
“That has never worked.”
However, Burnham’s supporters argue that Labour’s problems stem from Starmer’s leadership itself and that the party risks further decline if it fails to act.
Burnham’s victory in Makerfield has strengthened that argument. Labour increased its vote share by ten percentage points, while Burnham outperformed expectations and secured a commanding lead over Reform UK.
Speaking after the result, Burnham told supporters he would take the momentum from the campaign into Westminster and help “change British politics forever”.
The victory has left Labour MPs openly discussing what was previously considered unthinkable, whether Starmer can realistically remain Prime Minister.
A potentially decisive moment could come at next week’s Cabinet meeting, where senior ministers are expected to assess the party’s direction following the by-election result.
Under Labour Party rules, Burnham would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to formally trigger a leadership contest. Political observers believe he would have little difficulty reaching that threshold if he chooses to proceed.
The result has also exposed the growing fragility of Starmer’s authority. Less than two years after winning a general election mandate, he now finds himself confronting calls from within his own ranks to prepare for an orderly exit.
For a Prime Minister who promised stability after years of political turmoil, the sight of ministers, MPs and senior Labour figures openly discussing his replacement represents a remarkable reversal of fortune.
Whether Starmer can reassert control over his party, or whether Burnham’s Makerfield triumph proves the beginning of the end for his premiership, may become clear in the days ahead.
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