Keir Starmer under more threat as Andy Burnham finds route back to Commons
Josh Simons has said he will stand down as MP for Makerfield to allow the Greater Manchester Mayor into Parliament
Sir Keir Starmer’s future as Prime Minister is under further threat after Andy Burnham found a potential route back into the House of Commons.
Josh Simons has said he will stand down as a Labour MP to allow the Greater Manchester Mayor into Parliament if he wins the resulting by-election.
Makerfield MP Mr Simons said he was quitting the House Commons so Mr Burnham can “return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for”.
Mr Burnham is a favourite among Labour MPs to take over from the Prime Minister and regularly polls as the most popular Labour politician in the country.
It comes just hours after fellow leadership contender Wes Streeting quit as Health Secretary and called for Sir Keir to resign.
In a post on X, Mr Simons said: “It is my unwavering belief that nothing short of urgent, radical, courageous reform will make a difference. That must start with a change in leadership.
“Today, I am putting the people I represent and the country I love first and will be resigning as MP for Makerfield.
“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 added Labour has “one last chance” to deliver and “change a status quo that is not working”. He said: “That is the fight. I believe Andy is the one to lead it.”
Mr Simons was only elected as an MP in 2024 and had to stand down as a junior minister earlier this year after he falsely accused journalists of having links to Russian intelligence.
Mr Burnham confirmed he would like to run in the seat.
He said: “I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election.”
He continued: “There is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester.
“Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again. This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people.
“Millions are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. It has already made changes to make life better for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to people to come back together as a Labour movement, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place.”
Mr Burnham previously served as the MP for the neighbouring constituency of Leigh between 2001 and 2017. He has since been Mayor of Greater Manchester.
He had wanted to stand for Labour at the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, but was blocked from standing by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The seat was won by Hannah Spencer of the Greens, while Labour finished in third behind Reform UK.
Mr Burnham has twice stood for the Labour leadership before - losing to Ed Miliband in 2010 and Jeremy Corbyn in 2015.
To stand in Makerfield Mr Burnham would again need the approval of the NEC, and reports have suggested that he would not be blocked again.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, an ally of the Prime Minister, warned of the “political risk” of a by-election and said it was not up to Mr Simons whether Mr Burnham could run in the seat he was vacating.
“If Andy puts himself forward as the candidate for that, I don’t know if others will too. Any decision on who should be on a shortlist for the by-election would be taken by the NEC (Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee).”
Asked whether Mr Burnham should be given the green light to stand by the NEC, Mr McFadden said: “MPs don’t get to pick their successors.
“It doesn’t work like that. There’ll be a selection contest, there’ll be an NEC process, all of that will have to be gone through.”
It comes after a bruising time for the Prime Minister. At last week’s elections, Labour went backwards in Scotland, lost control in Wales for the first time and lost 1,500 English council seats.
Since then, roughly 100 Labour MPs have called for him to resign.
His Health Secretary, four junior ministers and five government aides have left their jobs calling for him to quit.
Sir Keir has so far refused to do so, saying that anyone who wants to challenge him must meet the threshold for a leadership contest - the backing of 81 MPs.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Streeting announced his much expected resignation.
In a letter, he blamed the “unprecedented” election results in part on “the unpopularity of this Government”.
He added: “There are many reasons we could point to: from individual mistakes on policy like the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance to the ‘island of strangers’ speech, all of which have left the country not knowing who we are or what we really stand for.”
Mr Streeting praised Sir Keir’s “many great strengths” and “courage and statesmanship on the world stage”, but continued: “Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.
“This was underscored by your speech on Monday. Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords.
“You also need to listen to your colleagues, including backbenchers, and the heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices diminishes our politics.”
On a leadership transition, Mr Streeting’s letter read: “It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism.
“It needs to be broad, and it needs to be the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope you will facilitate it.”
Sir Keir praised Mr Streeting’s work as health secretary in his response to his resignation.
He added: “I am truly sorry you will no longer be sat at the Cabinet table helping to transform our National Health Service.
“But I have no doubt you will continue to play an important role in our party for many years to come.
“I hope we can work together to show that Labour in power can address the problems our opponents exploit, can install hope where they want despair, and can bring people together where they want division.”
It was unclear whether Mr Streeting had the 81 Labour MPs needed to announce a formal challenge against the Prime Minister, with earlier briefings from rival factions claiming that he did not.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner - also viewed as a potential leadership contender - revealed on Thursday morning that she had been cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs, clearing the path for a potential tilt at the top job.
If he did not step down, Sir Keir would automatically be on the ballot paper in any race, and Downing Street has continued to insist that he would fight any effort to oust him.
In a speech on Friday, Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell is expected to say Mr Burnham, Mr Streeting and Ms Rayner should all be “key players” in Labour’s team.
She is expected to say: “The election results last week were deeply painful and difficult for our party, and the aftermath has been unedifying for us all too. We don’t do hostile take-overs in Labour for a reason. Keir is the leader, and I warned against bloody internal battles reflecting badly.
“If we think we don’t have further to fall, that’s a mistake, we can. We must come back together as one team to take the fight to Farage and show that mainstream progressive politics can bring about the change people are crying out for.
“That also means doing politics differently. Ending briefing wars, ending factionalism, and representing all our traditions with our strongest team on the pitch – being one Labour team.
“Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner should all be key players in our team.
“Andy wants to come back to Parliament – I’ve always supported his desire to do so, and I support that again. As deputy leader, I am confident he would have the support of the vast majority of the party and movement in doing so.”
Mr Streeting’s is the first departure from the Cabinet, after the resignations on Tuesday of junior ministers Jess Phillips, Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones and Miatta Fahnbulleh.
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