Labour MP Josh Simons resigns to enable Andy Burnham to contest Makerfield seat

Labour MP Josh Simons announced his resignation on May 14, 2026, to trigger a by-election in the Makerfield constituency. Simons said he is "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" ^[1].

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is seen as a leading potential challenger to Labour leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Burnham must win the upcoming Makerfield by-election and secure the local Labour party nomination to re-enter Parliament ^{[1, 2]}. The Labour National Executive Committee approved Burnham's candidacy on May 15, authorizing his run for the seat vacated by Simons ^[2].

Simons won Makerfield in the 2024 general election with a majority of 5,399 votes over the Reform UK candidate ^[1]. However, Reform UK’s popularity has grown since 2024 while Labour support has dipped, making the by-election potentially closely fought ^[1]. If Burnham returns to Parliament, he will need to gain support from 81 of the 403 Labour MPs to trigger a leadership contest against Starmer ^[2].

Recently, Labour cabinet minister Wes Streeting resigned and called for a leadership challenge to Starmer, though he has not officially launched a campaign ^{[1, 3]}. Starmer responded by pledging to "fight any leadership challenge" and take responsibility for providing stability, saying, "I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos, as the Tories did, time and again" ^[3].

Burnham expressed a call for unity within Labour as the by-election approaches: "People are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. 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" ^[3].

The Makerfield by-election is expected to be held in June 2026 to fill the vacated seat ^[2]. This vote will be a critical test of Burnham’s chances to re-enter Parliament and potentially mount a leadership challenge against Starmer.