Andy Burnham has promised that a vote for him in the upcoming Makerfield by-election is a "vote to change Labour" as he launched his election campaign on Friday.
The Greater Manchester mayor said Labour "need to be better than we have been" and promised to give voters "the party back they used to know".
Burnham is widely seen as Sir Keir Starmer’s main rival for a leadership challenge, although Burnham’s allies suggest that he may not launch a bid to lead immediately if he is successful in his attempt to return to Westminster.
In his launch speech, Burnham stressed that there is "space to be more radical" within Labour’s 2024 manifesto, including building more council houses and rail renationalisation.
Burnham insisted that the voters of Makerfield would get "the party back they used to know". He promised he was not offering “more of the same” and that, “this is a change by-election. Politics in this country, British politics, is tired."
Polls suggest that Andy Burnham will boost the party’s chance of holding the seat, but it could still prove a tough contest against Reform UK.
The Labour MP, Josh Simons, who stood down to allow for Burnham to run, won in 2024 by 5,399 votes, while Reform comfortably won every ward in the constituency at this month’s local elections.
The current list of candidates is:
• Liberal Democrats – Jake Austin
• Labour – Andy Burnham
• Monster Raving Loony Party – Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope
• Restore Britain – Rebecca Shepherd
• Conservatives – Michael Winstanley
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