The Greater Manchester mayor hopes to stave off the challenge of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in one of the most consequential by-elections in British political history.
If Mr Burnham succeeds in holding the Makerfield seat for Labour, he is expected to use his return to the Commons to launch an effort to oust Sir Keir Starmer.
Votes are counted for the Makerfield by-election (Peter Byrne/PA)
PA Wire
He said the Makerfield campaign was a “vote to change politics” and vowed to “take that fight as high as I can possibly take it”.
Reform’s Robert Kenyon represents the main threat to Mr Burnham’s plan for a Westminster return, with the party riding high in national opinion polls and picking up council seats in the constituency last month.
Mr Kenyon said he was “confident of a big vote for Reform”.
One factor that might count in Mr Burnham’s favour is the campaign mounted by Restore Britain, the party set up by Rupert Lowe after his public falling out with his former party, Reform and Nigel Farage.
If would-be Reform voters have backed Restore instead, that could help Mr Burnham’s victory chances.
Mr Burnham has said he will take part in any leadership contest if he returns to Westminster, although his supporters hope Sir Keir will quit rather than fight to save his premiership.
Mr Burnham and his allies are reported to be hoping for a “coronation”, in which Sir Keir stands aside, rather than a contest, which they believe would be damaging to Labour’s brand.
But the Prime Minister has repeatedly insisted he has no intention of walking away from No 10 and is understood to have amassed a war chest to fund his campaign to fight any leadership challenge, as first reported by The Times.
He has the backing of a group of private donors, with fundraising having ramped up in the last two days and total pledges running into six figures, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reported several Cabinet ministers have had to be talked out of resigning early by the mayor’s camp to prevent the Government descending into chaos ahead of the by-election.
Makerfield is one of three parliamentary by-elections where votes are being counted.
The other two are in the Scottish seats of Aberdeen South, and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, where SNP MPs Stephen Gethins and Stephen Flynn have stood down after winning elections to the Scottish Parliament in May.
The Tories have targeted Aberdeen South, playing up Kemi Badenoch’s support for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Areas like Makerfield and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry are not typically regarded as natural Conservative territory and in Aberdeen South we know we face a tough fight.”
