Ex-British health secretary says he backs Andy Burnham’s return to parliament

Britain’s former Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed Friday support for Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, to stand in the Makerfield by-election, a move that would pave the way for his return to Parliament.

"We need our best players on the pitch. There is no doubt that Andy Burnham is one of them," Streeting who resigned as health secretary on Thursday, wrote on the US social media company X.

The post follows the announcement by Labour Party lawmaker Josh Simons on Thursday, who said he will resign to trigger a by-election in Makerfield and pave the way for the Manchester mayor's return to parliament, as he can only challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he becomes a lawmaker.

Burnham later confirmed he will try to run for parliament as only a member of parliament can launch a leadership challenge against prime ministers.

"I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC (Labour Party's National Executive Committee) to stand in the Makerfield by-election," Burnham wrote on the US social media company X.

Starmer has defied calls from lawmakers urging him to leave or set a timetable to do so after Labour suffered heavy losses in recent local elections, while Nigel Farage's Reform UK surged.

How can a leadership challenge begin?

Under Labour Party rules, a leadership contest can begin either if the leader resigns or if 20% of Labour lawmakers nominate a challenger.

Since Labour currently has 403 lawmakers in parliament, a candidate would need the backing of 81 lawmakers to formally launch a challenge.

If a contest is triggered, additional candidates could also enter the race if they secure support from 81 lawmakers.

As the sitting prime minister and Labour leader, Starmer would automatically appear on the ballot if he chose to contest the leadership election. He would also remain prime minister during the contest.