Some see ‘King of the North’ as UK government’s savior. First he needs a seat in Parliament

The British government is in disarray, and the man many think could save it isn’t even up to the task.

Not yet at least, but the way is now clear for Manchester’s popular mayor Andy Burnham to try to unseat beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This is far from a sure thing as there will be huge hurdles to overcome.

Burnham would first need to return to Parliament, where she could seek to challenge Starmer’s leadership.

Starmer, who has promised leadership, is on the ropes, facing falling approval ratings and questions about his decision and seeing Labor suffer defeat in local elections across the UK this month. A key member of the cabinet has resigned and more than a fifth of the party’s MPs in the House of Commons are calling on him to stand down.

Homecoming brings a new look and nickname

Burnham, 56, is seen as Starmer’s biggest rival, partly because he is perceived to be to the prime minister’s political left.

The mayor is known as the “King of the North” and Labor supporters will be hoping that name comes to fruition.

The reference to the popular character Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones” is a sign of respect for Burnham’s fierce support of northern England and its working-class culture and heritage. This reflects the image that he is not part of the London political establishment. For many northerners this is very important.

His three major mayoral victories since 2017 show he can win elections.

But he didn’t always do this. Burnham, who was in the cabinet of Gordon Brown’s government from 2007 to 2010, twice ran for the Labor leadership, losing badly first in 2010 and then again in 2015. When we look back at these campaigns, we see that they were quite harsh.

The end of his 16-year tenure in Parliament brought him more fluent speaking skills and a more stylish appearance. Suits and ties have largely been replaced by a smart casual look paired with sneakers.

This may seem superficial, but it broke down barriers for voters.

More importantly, his tenure as mayor made him a more effective operator and arguably the best communicator within the Labor ranks.

His stature grew during the COVID-19 pandemic when he became the de facto spokesman for northern England, constantly haranguing Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take a “London-centric” approach to the crisis.

Burnham is ready to step down as mayor if he wins a special parliamentary election in the Makerfield constituency, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Manchester.

The path back to parliament must be through Reform UK

The road back to the House of Commons began on Thursday when Labor’s Josh Simons said he would resign to make way for Burnham. Although Burnham was blocked from running for a seat earlier this year, Labor’s executive branch said on Friday that she could run in a special election expected to take place within the next two months.

It will likely be a bitter contest in one of the most important special elections in UK history. Burnham agreed.

Announcing his intention to stand, he said: “I do not take even a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of the people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but have lost faith in recent times.”

Simons won the seat by nearly 5,400 votes two years ago, but that left the Conservatives 14 years behind with Labor’s landslide victory in 2024.

Times have changed dramatically, and Labour’s recent coup comes at the hands of the rising anti-immigrant UK Reform Party on the right and, to a lesser extent, the eco-populist Greens on the left. All wards in the Makerfield constituency were won by Reform in local races.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said the party would “do absolutely everything”.

Despite these results, Burnham can capitalize on her reputation as someone who gets things done, said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.

“Andy Burnham is a big name in the north-west. There will be a lot of people who want him to come back to Parliament, or at least unseat Keir Starmer,” Bale said. “In some ways this is a useful test for Burnham because if she can’t beat Reform in this constituency then, frankly, she’s of little use to Labor as leader.”

One war after another

Labor has never sacked one of its leaders in government, but there is a process.

If Burnham can win a seat in the House of Commons, she will need to either launch a leadership contest or join one. To do this, a member of parliament needs the support of one fifth (or 81) of Labour’s 403 members. Starmer, who has vowed to keep fighting, will automatically step in to defend his position.

Wes Streeting was expected to announce a bid for the top job on Thursday after Starmer resigned as health secretary and blasted his former boss for failing to offer effective solutions to the UK’s many problems. But he called for a “broad” group of candidates to be called in to discuss the future of the party instead, in what appeared to be a nod to Burnham.

Streeting went on to back Burnham on Friday, saying Labor needed “the best players on the field” at X. But he did not say he wanted to see Burnham as prime minister.

If there is a leadership battle, both Burnham and Streeting could compete. Others considering doing so include former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, defense minister Al Carns and former party leader Ed Miliband.

For now, all permutations go through Makerfield, and this outcome could have a seismic impact.

“If Burnham wins the by-election, Keir Starmer is unlikely to actually join the leadership race,” Bale said. “If Burnham fails, Starmer may feel he has a chance against Streeting and Rayner.”

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Associated Press writer Danica Kirka contributed to this story.