{"id":16370,"date":"2026-06-19T16:32:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:32:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16370"},"modified":"2026-06-19T16:32:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:32:06","slug":"how-burnhams-resounding-victory-could-lead-to-starmers-downfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16370","title":{"rendered":"How Burnham\u2019s resounding victory could lead to Starmer\u2019s downfall"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By PAN PYLAS<\/strong><\/p>\n

LONDON (AP) \u2014 Andy Burnham \u2019s resounding victory on Friday in a special U.K. election sets in motion a chain of events that could lead to the end of the premiership of Keir Starmer, who less than two years ago led the Labour Party back to power after 14 years.<\/p>\n

Read more World shares are mixed and US futures fall after a tech-led rally on Wall St<\/a><\/p>\n

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely tipped to be the lead candidate to replace Starmer, especially as his victory in the seat of Makerfield in northwest England was so decisive. Despite Labour\u2019s dismal poll ratings and substantial losses in local elections in May, Burnham defied electoral gravity.<\/p>\n

He was able to not only see off the challenge of the candidate from anti-immigration Reform UK, but substantially increased Labour\u2019s share of the vote to nearly 55%. At the local elections last month, Reform UK won virtually every seat that make up the constituency of Makerfield.<\/p>\n

Now that Burnham, 56, is heading back to Parliament after nearly a decade away, during which time he was the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, he is now in a position to challenge the embattled Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and of the country. He hasn\u2019t openly said he will do so but everything he says shows that he has his eyes firmly fixed on the top job.<\/p>\n

Burnham described his victory as \u201cthe change moment\u201d and said he and his team hoped to \u201clay out a new path\u201d for Britain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need in this country right now for people to feel a sense of hope that there is something better to work towards on the horizon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The next U.K. national election doesn\u2019t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Here\u2019s how it could happen:<\/p>\n

Starmer says enough is enough<\/h4>\n

Though Starmer has repeatedly said he will stand against anyone who challenges his position, he may come to the realization over the coming days that he would lose a leadership election, a humiliating end for a man who led his party in a landslide victory in July 2024.<\/p>\n

Starmer is one of the most unpopular prime ministers in history after a series of policy missteps and controversies, most notably his misguided appointment of Peter Mandelson as the U.K.\u2019s ambassador to Washington, despite his links to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n

There is speculation that members of his Cabinet will inform him this weekend that the game is up and that it would be better for him \u2014 and Labour \u2014 to announce his resignation.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

If he decided to leave office immediately, the Cabinet and Labour\u2019s governing body would likely pick an interim leader to be prime minister, probably someone not expected to run for the Labour Party leadership. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy could fit the bill.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, he could announce his intention to step down at a later date, say the party\u2019s annual conference in September.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s clear that Burnham will stand in any ensuing leadership race. The big question is whether anyone else would too? Wes Streeting, who quit as health secretary last month, has indicated he will throw his hat in the ring. Other potential candidates include Starmer\u2019s former deputy, Angela Rayner who resigned last September over an unpaid property tax, and Al Carns, who resigned last week as the armed forces minister over Starmer\u2019s funding plans for the country\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n

There are many in Labour\u2019s ranks who say it would be best if no one stood against Burnham so he could enter 10 Downing Street this summer before the party conference.<\/p>\n

Starmer sticks to his guns<\/h4>\n

On Friday, Starmer was in the peculiar position of congratulating Burnham on his victory in the knowledge that it shines a spotlight on his leadership.<\/p>\n

The prime minister said Friday that he had not spoken to Burnham, but insisted he would fight attempts to oust him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I will run, I will stand,\u201d he said when asked about what he would do in the event of a leadership challenge. \u201cI\u2019ve said repeatedly I\u2019m not going to walk away from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the event of a direct challenge, Starmer would automatically be on the ballot.<\/p>\n

Hurdles to be cleared to join any contest<\/h4>\n

To challenge Starmer, candidates must win the support of a fifth, or 81, of the party\u2019s House of Commons lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Those candidates who meet the threshold of support within the House of Commons would then have to receive the backing of 5% of local constituency parties, or at least three party affiliates \u2014 groups such as trade unions and cooperative societies.<\/p>\n

Eligible members of the party and affiliates would then vote for the leader using an electoral system that ranks the candidates. The winner is the first candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote.<\/p>\n

King Charles III would then invite the winner to become prime minister and form a government.<\/p>\n

Should there be a contest, it could last three to four months, with the party organizing town halls before the vote is open to its members.<\/p>\n

Read more How a congressional redistricting battle could gain new life for the 2028 elections<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andy Burnham\u2019s election win in Makerfield signals a potential leadership challenge for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid growing party dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Burnham\u2019s resounding victory could lead to Starmer\u2019s downfall - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16370\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Burnham\u2019s resounding victory could lead to Starmer\u2019s downfall - 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