Andy Burnham has won a special election to the British parliament, clearing a path for him to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the party leadership.
Burnham, Labour's former Greater Manchester mayor, defeated the Reform U.K. party by more than 9,000 votes, taking nearly 55% of the vote, in the election in Makerfield, in north-west England.
Burnham could now trigger a leadership challenge to Starmer as soon as next week, once he is formally sworn in as a Member of Parliament.
A prominent figure on the party's left often dubbed Labour's "King in the North," Burnham said in his victory speech that Makerfield was "not a stepping stone" but a "touchstone," promising to put neglected communities at the center of his politics.
In his victory acceptance speech, Burnham appeared to lay the groundwork for a leadership bid.
He said the win provides the "chance to build a new politics, based on unity and hope", and an opportunity to turn "away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States," adding "we must put the country back on the right path."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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