Andy Burnham elected MP for Makerfield with over 54 per cent of the vote

Andy Burnham will return to Westminster after winning the Makerfield by-election winning 24,937 to Reform’s Rob Kenyon on 15,696. Burnham won 54.8 per cent of the vote with Reform on 34.6%. That;s a 9.6% rise since the 2024 general election. 

Burnham defeated Reform’s Robert Kenyon by 9,321 – treble the vote for the Restore candidate who got just 3,111 in the much-anticipated by-election. In the recent local government elections in Wigan – in which the Makerfield constituency sits – Reform got 46.2% of the vote and Labour just 26.6%. Labour’s Josh Simons previously won the seat with 45.2% to Reform’s 31.8%.

Despite some rather bizarre interruptions before his acceptance speech. In the speech Burnham said “Everyone knows politics isn’t working, everyone knows the country isn’t working. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point… Bringing back hope for the future.”

In a part of the speech aimed at Labour, Burnham said: “There will be no second chance, but it is a chance now, from this result tonight, to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States.

“We must now take this path and put this country back on the right path, and bring people back together and get things working properly again.”

Burnham will likely be sworn in as an MP on Monday (June 22). This win enables Burnham to potentially challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. 

His election will trigger a by-election for the Greater Manchester mayoralty, a first for any of the English metro mayoral positions. It is not known who might be in contention to stand for Labour to be Burnham’s successor. 

Become a friend of LabourList like Andy Burnham and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

🚨 Andy Burnham CONFIRMS he is a Friend of LabourList. 🥳 🫂

🔴 Good luck today Andy, LabourList is with you all the way!

Want to join Andy and become a Friend of LabourList too? Sign up to be a Friend here 👇 https://t.co/kuLarR7hln pic.twitter.com/9jMHwEhwsV

— LabourList (@LabourList) June 18, 2026

The by-election, triggered by the resignation of MP Josh Simons to allow for Burnham to stand to Parliament, was the mayor’s second attempt to return to Westminster. Earlier this year, he attempted to stand as Labour’s candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, but was rebuffed by the party’s NEC. Labour went on to place third in the by-election, behind the Green Party and Reform.

Burnham’s election brings to an end an almost ten year absence from the House of Commons, having stood down as the MP for Leigh ahead of the 2017 general election to run as Greater Manchester Mayor.

Emma Burnell, editor of LabourList, said: “Many hopes were invested in Andy Burnham winning this election. This was by no means a foregone conclusion but Burnham has shown that Labour can beat Reform in exactly the kind of seat where they are most competitive. Everyone in the Labour Party should be delighted at this result and the spoke it puts in Reform’s wheels. 

“We all know that Andy’s election as an MP is only the start of a bigger conversation about the future of the government and Labour Party. People will differ in how they feel about that, though recent LabourList polling shows that Burnham currently has a considerable lead over the PM. Those who do want to see Burnham take over will see this victory as a proof point that he can reach parts of the electorate that felt out of reach to Labour as recently as the local elections just over a month ago.”

Meanwhile, Labour also fought contests against the SNP in two other Westminster by-elections in Scotland. The Conservatives won a seat from the SNP by a surprisingly large margin in Aberdeen South, but the nationalists held on in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.

Labour were pushed into fourth in both seats.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].