Labour Party reaction to the Makerfield result is starting to filter through now.

We've just reported comments from Southport MP Patrick Hurley, who tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that while he's been loyal to Keir Starmer in public and in private, "right now we need a transition to something new".

We've also heard from Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York, who tells BBC Radio 5 Live she believes a leadership contest "has to happen soon".

"Many of us are impatient to deliver for our constituents and we see the best path for that is with Andy Burnham leading."

Meanwhile, Paul Sweeney, Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow, says Andy Burnham "gets working class communities" and that Glasgow and Manchester were similar industrial cities with similar issues.

He tells BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast that Starmer "ought to read the room" and asked if he thought Starmer should step out of the way, says "I think that would be best for all concerned".

Two former members of Starmer's cabinet, Wes Streeting - who has said he would run in any possible leadership contest - and Angela Rayner - who it has been speculated may also challenge Starmer - have both congratulated Burnham.

Patrick Hurley, Labour MP for Southport, says Keir Starmer will "go down in history as a monumental figure in Labour party politics".

But, he adds, that "to everything there is a season and right now we need a transition to something new".

Too often, the government's response to the "many problems this country has had over the last decade" is to announce a review or task force, Hurley says.

"What we've not done sufficiently is take decisive action in a speedy and urgent fashion - that's what people are telling us they want," he says.

Hurley says he doesn't want to see a leadership election, adding that the will of the country and the parliamentary Labour party is "obvious".

"I think really we need to see the prime minister set out a transition and a process now", he adds.

• More than 45,500 votes were cast in the Makerfield by-election
• That equates to 58.8% of the constituency. It's the first time since 1982 that a by-election turnout was greater than that of the previous general election (52.5% in 2024)

• Andy Burnham secured 24,927 votes - 55% overall - and increased Labour's vote share by 10 percentage points
• 15,696 votes - or 35% - went to Reform UK, bumping the party's vote share by three percentage points
• Newcomers Restore Britain received 3,111 votes - or 7%
• 997 votes went to the Conservatives, 308 to the Greens and 163 to the Lib Dems

Image source, Reuters

Former health secretary Wes Streeting has celebrated Andy Burnham's "astonishing victory" in Makerfield - an area "where Labour lost badly only weeks ago", he says

He says the result in Makerfield "gives us all hope that Labour can still win, but Andy’s campaign is proof that to do so we need to change".

Streeting resigned from Starmer's government last month, and has since said that he will put himself forward in any potential Labour leadership race.

Out for the government on the media round this morning is Housing Secretary Steve Reed.

He's just been on BBC Radio 5 Live - and is speaking now to BBC Breakfast (which you can watch live at the top of this page).

He tells our radio colleagues he's "delighted" Andy Burnham will be returning to Parliament, describing him as a "huge talent".

A race to replace Burnham as the mayor of Greater Manchester has been triggered by his victory in Makerfield, which Reed says is "going to be a tough fight".

"We need to focus on making sure that Reform do not take that," Reed says.

"The damage they would cause to the whole of the north-west of England if they did that would be incalculable.

"So right now the party needs to come together and focus on winning that by-election."

Burnham's emphatic win leaves Starmer and Labour with big decisionpublished at 07:37 BST 19 June

07:37 BST 19 June

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, PA

The prime minister will wake up to see the stonking scale of Burnham's victory.

Will it shift his outlook, his defiance, so frequently recently expressed? Will it mean more Labour figures, from the cabinet down, privately – or publicly – call for him to go?

If that were to happen at scale, it may become obvious that Starmer can no longer viably govern.

But if it doesn't and this result here doesn't dilute his defiance, it will be up to his potential successors, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting among them, to make a decision.

Who is willing – and when – to stick their head above the parapet and say they are launching a formal challenge?

We are in for a lively few days and weeks, I suspect.

• You can read more about what Burnham's by-election win means for Starmer's future here

Image source, PA Media

Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has congratulated Andy Burnham on winning the Makerfield by-election.

"The people of Makerfield voted for hope," the Ashton-under-Lyne MP writes on X.

There had been wide speculation that Rayner, who resigned from government in September over a row around her tax affairs, might challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.

She has also settled £40,000 of unpaid stamp duty, following a HMRC investigation, which was previously seen as an obstacle to her standing.

Supporters of Reform voted "tactically" for Andy Burnham to "get Starmer out", the party's deputy leader tells BBC Breakfast.

Richard Tice says he was told by supporters in Makerfield: "I'm so determined to get Starmer out, I'm going to vote Burnham to ensure that result."

Reform came second to Labour in Makerfield. Tice says his party would have "loved to have won" and "gave it a very good go".

Reform are now "looking forward" to the Greater Manchester mayoral election as their "next ambition", he adds.

Image source, EPA

Andy Burnham is the new MP for Makerfield, paving the way for a possible bid for the Labour leadership.

The by-election in north-west England was one of three that took place on Thursday.

If you're just waking up, here's what else you missed while you were sleeping:

• Andy Burnham has won in Makerfield - beating Reform, the party in second place, by a sizeable 9,000 votes
• He also increased Labour's vote share in the area by 10 percentage points - defying national and historic trends, our election guru says
• In his victory speech, he warned Labour this was a "final chance to change... there will be no second chance"
• Attention now turns to a possible challenge for the Labour leadership, though no official contest has been triggered. Here's how it might work
• In Scotland, the Scottish Conservatives' Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP comfortably in Aberdeen South, sealing a 6,000-vote majority
• The SNP did hold onto Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, though, with new MP Lara Bird describing that vote as being "about the future we want for Scotland"

As we work to bring you the latest reaction to the results, our colleagues at BBC Radio Manchester are hosting a Makerfield by-election special - just click the watch & listen tab at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

Our political editor has taken an educated punt: expect to see him in front of the cameras before lunchtime.

We've heard from the PM once already this morning - he posted a short message of congratulation to Andy Burnham on X.

There was no mention of what Burnham's victory might mean for a potential leadership contest, though.

The prime minister had previously warned Burnham against launching a leadership contest if he won the seat, saying it would be "a bad thing for the country".

Our correspondents and cameras are poised on Downing Street to capture any action, which we'll bring you as it happens right here.

Now that Andy Burnham has been elected as the new MP for Makerfield, he is widely expected to make his bid for the Labour leadership and the job of prime minister.

Crucially, he would need the backing of 20% of Labour MPs - or 81 of them - to formally challenge the incumbent, Keir Starmer.

The same goes for any other contender. Starmer, however, does not need to find nominations to defend his position.

Labour Party and affiliate members then vote via a postal ballot, and candidates are ranked in order of preference.

To win - and become leader - the candidate must clinch 50% of the vote.

We've just seen the prime minister's first reaction to Andy Burnham's big win.

"Congratulations, @AndyBurnhamGM, Labour’s new MP for Makerfield," he writes on X.

"Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate."

In Downing Street, Keir Starmer is waking up to an imminent threatpublished at 06:00 BST 19 June

06:00 BST 19 June

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

I’ve just arrived in Downing Street, where Keir Starmer is waking up not only to an Andy Burnham victory in Makerfield – but victory by a massive margin.

It means the prime minister faces a threat to his position which is grave and imminent.

The message this morning from the jubilant Burnham camp, as expected, is that Starmer ought to come to his own realisation over the next few days that his position is untenable and set out a timetable for his departure.

That argument is bolstered, they believe, by the fact that Burnham won by such a distance.

"The scale of the result means the writing is on the wall and he needs to accept that," one senior Burnham-supporting MP has said to me.

But it has been clear for some time that Starmer intends to dig in. I’m told that remains his position this morning, and that we will hear as much from him today.

He will argue that he is closing the gap nationally with Reform UK, and that a leadership change would make Labour look like the Conservatives they defeated not even quite two years ago.

Assuming Starmer holds to that position over the weekend, that sets up an almighty clash with Burnham next week. The question will quickly turn to whether Labour MPs, and especially the cabinet, try to pressure Starmer out of office.

Charlotte Hall
Local Democracy Reporter, reporting from Wigan

The eyes of the nation were on Andy Burnham after the vote tallies for the Makerfield by-election were read out.

But as he approached the microphone to give his speech, he appeared to realise he had forgotten something - possibly his notes.

He could be seen patting his jacket pockets before suddenly turning on his heel to leave the stage.

Two independent candidates took the opportunity to issue impromptu protest speeches to the media scrum gathered in front of them.

The returning officer soon brought order to proceedings, stating the candidates had agreed prior to the announcement that only one person – the winner of the election – should hold an address.

Burnham then returned to the stage shortly afterwards.

Rachel Flynn
Live reporter

This we know for sure: Andy Burnham is the new MP for Makerfield

He won 55% of the vote - that's 9,000 more votes than Reform's Robert Kenyon. Burnham is no longer the Greater Manchester mayor - an election to replace him is expected to take place on 30 July.

He believes he is the change the Labour Party needs (if we read between the lines)

When Burnham told Labour Party members it was the "final chance to change", read between the lines - he was saying he could be the change the party needs, political correspondent Alex Forsyth writes.

So will Burnham be the next prime minister?

That's something we definitely don't know. Both Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting have said they would stand in any contest to replace the PM, and Streeting has suggested he would be prepared to trigger a leadership contest to replace him as early as next week.

But as of yet, no challenge to Starmer has been made. Contenders would need the support of at least 81 Labour MPs.

What is Starmer thinking?

Again, we don't know. We haven't heard a response to the by-election result from the prime minister. He previously warned Burnham against launching a leadership challenge if he won in Makerfield.

Did Burnham get his celebratory pint?

As the Makerfield MP left the count with his family, he got into a car and he said he was going for a "pint". We have yet to see if he found anywhere open in the small hours of a Friday morning...

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

Andy Burnham consulted high-level advisers, especially on economics, in the days before his by-election win in Makerfield.

In a sign he is preparing programmes for national policy, and to communicate stability to the markets should he become prime minister, Burnham has been taking advice from Lord Jim O’Neill, a former Treasury minister and economist.

He has also been advised by the former chairman of the Office of Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, who resigned after an IT leak of Budget numbers.

Burnham is himself a former chief secretary to the Treasury, who took a close interest in reforming how government decides to give the green light for major infrastructure projects.

He has also floated reforming strict borrowing rules for example to allow for defence spending increases. He has since said that he would stick to the rules.

Image source, Reuters

The Makerfield by-election will not be the last election of the summer.

Now that Andy Burnham is an MP again he can not continue in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester.

That's because, in his current position, he is also the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Greater Manchester. You can't be both.

A 2011 act states that a person is "disqualified" from being a PCC upon becoming a member of the House of Commons.

A by-election to replace Burnham as mayor of Greater Manchester has to take place by 6 August - 35 days after the role was made vacant.

The authority's returning officer, Caroline Simpson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service earlier this month that 30 July had been identified as the date which would allow the most number of people to vote.

The size of Burnham's win gives weight to his argumentpublished at 04:58 BST 19 June

04:58 BST 19 June

Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

When Andy Burnham told Labour party members it was the "final chance to change", read between the lines and he was saying he could be the change the party needs.

The question now is one of choreography: how the prime minister reacts to this victory, whether he decides to fight for his position, and what Burnham or other leadership hopefuls like Wes Streeting decide to do.

There will be plenty of conversations between Labour figures in the next few hours and days.

One thing that may change the calculations is the size of Burnham’s win - a decisive majority of more than 9,000 over Reform UK.

It adds weight to the argument of Burnham’s supporters that he is the only Labour figure that can beat Nigel Farage’s party - a powerful message among those weighing up what to do next.

Of course, there will be some in the Labour Party who point out that winning a by-election is one thing - and governing a country is quite another.

Image source, Reuters

Culture Secretary (and Wigan MP) Lisa Nandy has called Andy Burnham's by-election victory "history in the making".

“What Andy’s shown here is that there is something that he brings, a willingness to go out and fight for the change that people need, to take on any system and any person who stands in the way and to be bold and to wear his heart on his sleeve, and people have responded," she says.

Nandy adds that Labour will be in a really strong position with Burnham "back in the top team, at the top table, helping to drive that change".

Before the Makerfield by-election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Andy Burnham against launching a leadership challenge, if he won in Makerfield.

Instead he said the Labour Party should focus on the election of a new Greater Manchester mayor.

Speaking from the G7 summit, the prime minister said a leadership contest would be a "bad thing" for the country and reiterated that he intended to fight any challenge.

The prime minister also indicated that he would offer Burnham a cabinet job if he wins in Makerfield, telling reporters: "I hope he wins the by-election and he'll play a big part in the Labour government."