Could Burnham’s win mean Starmer’s days as British Prime Minister are numbered?

Andy Burnham’s return to Westminster sets up a battle for the premiership, which could see him oust Keir Starmer from 10 Downing Street.

Here, the Press Association looks at what could happen next:

– Will a Labour leadership contest be triggered?

This would depend on the new MP for Makerfield Burnham, or another leadership hopeful, such as former British health secretary Wes Streeting, securing the backing of the 81 Labour MPs – 20 per cent of the party’s strength in the Commons – required to mount a challenge.

Burnham’s decision to return to Westminster and give up the Greater Manchester mayoralty suggests he is confident he has the numbers required, so the question becomes one of timing – and whether he would be prepared to trigger the contest himself.

– Who else could stand in any contest?

Streeting quit as health secretary in protest at Starmer’s leadership and has indicated he is prepared to be the one to fire the starting gun on a contest by going public with a list of 81 names.

As the current leader, Starmer would automatically be on the ballot in any contest – assuming he cannot be persuaded by his rivals to voluntarily stand down.

Former Royal Marines officer Al Carns, who quit as armed forces minister in a row over defence funding and the treatment of Northern Ireland veterans, has also hinted he would seek to enter a leadership race, although it is unclear whether the MP – who was only elected in 2024 – has the supporters required to get on the ballot paper.

– How would a Labour leadership contest work?

After a leadership hopeful nails down 81 backers in the Commons, candidates are then put to a vote among party members, who rank them in order of preference.

A contender is declared the winner if they get more than 50 per cent of first preferences, and this usually happens through a process of elimination during rounds of voting, the timetable for which is set by Labour’s ruling NEC.

– Will the British Prime Minister take on his rivals?

World

Andy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election to set up challenge to Keir Starmer

Burnham and Streeting hope Starmer will use the weekend to accept that a challenge to his leadership is inevitable and his time in No 10 is over.

But Starmer has been publicly defiant in recent weeks, insisting that no contest has yet been triggered and he sees it as his duty to fight if one is.

“If there is a challenge, then I intend to fight,” he said. “I’m not going to walk away from that.”