Andy Burnham takes huge step towards 10 Downing Street with a resounding victory in the Makerfield by-election

Predictions were that Labour’s Andy Burnham had Rob Kenyon of Reform breathing down his neck in the Makerfield by-election, and even exit polls suggested that if Reform weren’t losing votes to the further right Restore Britain, they might win.

But when presiding officer Alison McKenzie-Folan took to the stage at The Edge at 3.06am with 14 candidates lined up behind her and a throng of journalists, activists and council staff before her, she announced that the Greater Manchester mayor had polled 24,937 votes and his nearest rival – Mr Kenyon – 15,696.

It was in fact a bigger majority than the one Josh Simons – who stepped aside last month to allow Mr Burnham a route back into Westminster – secured when he was elected Makerfield MP two years ago.

The result immediately ramps up the pressure further on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer whose job Mr Burnham covets and, most polls suggest, he can now take.

Questions arise now as to how soon a leadership election might be triggered while Greater Manchester is now on the look-out for another mayor.

In his acceptance speech, one of Mr Burnham’s biggest messages was to refute claims by Reform and, in fact, many residents, that he was only using the consituency as a stepping stone to power.

He said that, on the contrary, he wanted to ensure Makerfield was synonymous with “bringing about the change this country needs, bringing back something we’ve lost – hope – hope for the future.

“I am proud that this place has shone in the world’s spotlight for the last few weeks, and the warmth, humour and hospitality of its people has been on show for all to see. It will never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone.

“A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.”

He added: “I spoke in the campaign about the need to change politics. I promised to lead by example, from the front as your member of parliament.

“I know people who traditionally vote for the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and perhaps more recently for Reform UK, have given me their support in this election. I will always have respect to them for that. And out of respect for them, I will always take a place-first, rather than a party-first approach and I will focus on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.

“And I will work hard after this by-election to heal the divisions of this campaign. And let it be really understood that I will be your MP, however you voted.”

But he also made it clear that there were problems within his own party that needed addressing, with the inference that he was the man to do it.

He said: “When this borough went to the polls in May, it made a loud cry for change. In this campaign we have begun to answer that.

“But I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.

“But there 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.”

Mr Burnham said that one sad element of the result for him was that it ended his nine “wonderful” years as GM Mayor.

He said: “This city region has given so much to me. And it is a wrench to leave the job I love. But I am not leaving the service of Greater Manchester. I’ve always been clear that it can’t achieve everything it should be and we can’t close the north-south divide and we can’t make all the great English cities be what they should be without big change at the national level.

“I always knew one day I would seek to go back to Westminster to complete that unfinished business so that Makerfield and Greater Manchester and the north of England can fulfil their potential.

“This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody.

“People here have voted for change. They have voted for more power for the north and everywhere forgotten by Westminster. They have voted for hope. Now let’s give that back to them.”

Mr Burnham left the count almost immediately after his speech.

As he got into a car with his his wife and daughter he said he was going for a “pint.”

Other parties were left to lick their wounds. Reform had certainly expected to run Mr Burnham closer than they did.

And Conservative candidate Michael Winstanley won 2.2 per cent of the vote in Makerfield – the Tories’ second lowest share of the vote at a Westminster by-election since the Second World War.

The lowest occurred a few months ago at the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, when the Tories won 1.9 per cent of the vote.

As far as Labour and politics in general were concerned, the new Makerfield MP said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working.

“Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.

“From here on I will give everything I have got to make it so. To ensure the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs.”