Labour MP Josh Simons has resigned to trigger a by-election and potentially provide Andy Burnham with a route back to parliament.
Burnham is considered one of the main contenders to challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership in the Labour Party.
However, one massive question hangs over the Manchester mayor: how does he return as an MP?
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There’s been plenty of speculation about MPs giving up their seats to allow Burnham to stand in a by-election – and now it’s happened.
Labour MP Josh Simons has announced he is standing down from his seat in Makerfield.
In a letter on Thursday afternoon, Simons said Burnham can provide a “new direction” for the government.
He said he was “putting the people I represent first” by stepping down and offering Burnham a route into Parliament.
“I am standing aside so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for,” he wrote.
Simons won the Makerfield seat for Labour in 2024 by a 5,399, with Reform coming second.
Burnham has said he wants to stand as the Labour candidate in the by-election, and the BBC reports that the prime minister will not block him from doing so.
In January, Labour’s ruling national executive committee blocked Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
An ally of Starmer’s told the BBC on Thursday that the prime minister is “focused on bringing the party together so it can tackle the issues facing working families.”
It’s safe to say that with Simons’ resignation, a Labour leadership race has truly begun.
Simons’ announcement came just hours after Wes Streeting fired the starting gun on a leadership contest by resigning as health secretary.
In his resignation letter, Streeting did not call for a quick contest, instead writing that it should have “the best possible field of candidates.”
This suggests he may be willing to wait for Burnham to secure a route back into Westminster through a by-election before sparking a contest that could then include the Manchester mayor.
Any would-be contenders will need the written support of 20% of Labour MPs, which at the moment is 81.