Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, returning to parliament after years away and positioning himself to challenge UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) and Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). Burnham is reportedly backed by 81 Labour MPs, enough to force a party primary.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election early Friday, returning to parliament after years away and setting the stage for a Labour leadership contest against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) and Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). Burnham is currently the most popular Labour politician in Britain. Reports from Israeli media covering British politics indicate Burnham has secured the backing of 81 Labour MPs — enough to trigger a party primary. As The Zioneer reported earlier this morning, the victory comes amid political turmoil in the UK government. The by-election in the northwestern English constituency of Makerfield, rather than Wythenshawe as earlier reports from some Israeli sources suggested, returns a seasoned Labour figure to Westminster after a prolonged absence. It remains unclear when a formal leadership challenge against Starmer would be launched.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake