Burnham selected as Labour’s Makerfield candidate as Reform UK reveal by-election competitor

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The announcement comes after a by-election was triggered by Labour MP Josh Simons, who announced he would stand down last week, paving the way for the Manchester Mayor's return to Westminster.

Following the announcement, Mr Burnham said he is "proud and humbled" to have been selected as Labour’s candidate for Makerfield.

He wrote in a statement on X: "These proud working-class communities represent the very best values of our country and they deserve so much better. It would be my honour to work for them every day, if elected as their MP, to achieve that.

"Many people here feel Westminster isn’t working for them and they are right. I am standing to change that and get the voice of these communities heard loud and clear."

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It is understood that the Greater Manchester mayor was the only person shortlisted for selection by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, bypassing a vote by the local party.

If he returns to Parliament, Mr Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, but the Prime Minister has insisted he will not “walk away” from Downing Street.

Mr Burnham used a slick campaign video to set out his vision after saying his attempt to win the Makerfield by-election was motivated by the need to “change Labour”.

In the video, soundtracked by a series of Manchester bands including Elbow, James and Oasis, Mr Burnham said he wanted “a new path for Britain”.

Mr Burnham has sought to reassure voters in the Leave-supporting Makerfield constituency that he is not seeking to rejoin the European Union – something he said last year he would like to see happen in his lifetime.

And he has also attempted to calm the bond markets by insisting he will stick to the Government’s fiscal rules.

Reform UK has also confirmed their candidate who will be standing in the crucial by-election, naming local man Robert Kenyon.

Mr Kenyon, who is a local plumber, ran in the 2024 election and finished in second place with nearly 32 per cent of the vote.

He has served as an army reservist and previously worked for the NHS in Lancashire as a specialist technician.

Mr Kenyon said: “Makerfield has never had a member of Parliament who was actually born in Makerfield. This will be a tough fight but I am going to give this contest my best shot.”

Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “This by-election contest is now a David versus Goliath battle. This is ‘the plucky plumber’ taking on ‘open borders Burnham’. Only Reform UK can beat Labour in this by-election.”

The by-election is likely to take place on June 18.