Burnham set for by-election bid, but can he win Makerfield?
Andy Burnham has announced his intention to stand in a by-election in Makerfield after Josh Simons, the Labour MP and former Cabinet Office minister, stood down to clear his path back to Westminster.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester is by far the most popular Labour politician and would be confident of success in a leadership contest against Sir Keir Starmer. But first he has to be allowed to fight the seat – which is in his own backyard – by the party’s National Executive Committee, and then beat Reform, which won the Makerfield wards in last week’s local elections.
Camilla Tominey and Tim…
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