High-stakes UK election opens door for would-be challenger to Starmer

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — In a local race with potential national implications, the Greens on Tuesday became the final major party to name a candidate for a June 18 election that could propel Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham back to Parliament and put him on a path toward challenging Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The left-wing Greens announced Sarah Wakefield as their candidate, ending days of uncertainty after the party’s first pick withdrew amid controversy and internal debate over whether running could split the vote in favor of the right-wing Reform UK party.

The by-election in Makerfield, Greater Manchester in northwest England, carries unusually high stakes for a local parliamentary race.

Voters are not only choosing a member of Parliament for their district but could also shape the future of U.K. politics.

Burnham, one of Britain’s most popular politicians, is running for Labour and is widely seen as a potential future contender for Downing Street if he returns to Westminster and wins support inside the governing party.

But Burnham faces a difficult path in Makerfield.

The area is a former Labour stronghold but voted 65% to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum and swung sharply toward Reform in local elections on May 7.

Across eight Makerfield wards, Reform won 50.4% of the vote compared with Labour’s 22.7%, underscoring the challenge Burnham faces in appealing to working-class, pro-Brexit voters who have drifted away from Labour.

An initial Survation poll of voting intentions showed Labour narrowly ahead at 43%, with Reform close behind at 40%.

Restore Britain polled at 7%, followed by the Liberal Democrats at 4%, the Greens on at % and Conservatives at 2%.

Candidate controversies

The Green Party’s selection process drew scrutiny after the party announced local nurse Chris Kennedy as its candidate Thursday, only for him to withdraw later that day.

The party said Kennedy stepped aside because of family caring responsibilities.

However, Kennedy’s social media comments surfaced in which he described an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London as a “false flag” operation.

Kennedy has since apologized for the comments.

Wakefield’s selection also opened a public split within the Greens, whose leaders debated whether the party should avoid contesting the seat to improve Burnham’s chances against Reform.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas urged the party to stand aside.

“There are times when it’s more important to put country before party,” Lucas said after reports emerged that the Greens planned to field a candidate. She argued Burnham could counter the “dire threat of a Reform UK government.”

The Reform campaign has faced controversies of its own.

On May 19, Reform confirmed local plumber Robert Kenyon as its candidate after he won a seat as a local councilor.

Born in Makerfield, Kenyon quickly came under scrutiny after anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate published what it described as sexist, violent and homophobic social media posts from his X account, alongside apparent Covid-19 conspiracy theories and lewd remarks about a television presenter and women rugby players.

Anti-fascist publication Searchlight also reported Kenyon had Facebook connections with neo-fascist campaigners, including Gary Raikes.

Reform defended him, saying they “fully back” Kenyon, noting the comments were made before he entered politics.

Musk backs far right

The by-election has drawn attention from Elon Musk, who endorsed Restore Britain, a breakaway party founded by former Reform lawmaker Rupert Lowe.

Restore Britain’s central aim is the mass deportation of migrants, both illegal and legal. According to its policy document, if someone is “unable to speak English, lives in social housing, claims benefits, refuses to work, fails to integrate, commits crime or actively hates our way of life and wishes to do us harm, they will be deported.”

Musk reposted a message from Lowe about the by-election and commented “Only Restore Britain can save Britain.”

It’s not the first time Musk has intervened in British politics.

The Tesla and SpaceX chief has repeatedly criticized Starmer and publicly backed right-wing causes in Britain.

Earlier this year, Musk feuded with Reform leader Nigel Farage after Farage refused to support Tommy Robinson, an anti-Islam activist with multiple criminal convictions, prompting Musk to briefly call for Farage to be replaced as Reform leader.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Burnham’s candidacy has intensified speculation about Labour’s future.

Once associated with the party’s right wing, Burnham later served in the shadow cabinet, which is Britain’s opposition leadership team, under left-wing former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Burnham left Parliament in 2017 to become mayor of Greater Manchester.

As mayor, Burnham shifted leftward on economic policy, endorsing more state intervention and clashing with governments over regional funding and public transport.

During his tenure, Greater Manchester has become Britain’s fastest-growing city region, expanding at an annual rate of 3.1%, more than double the national average.

This has contributed to polling consistently ranking Burnham as Britain’s most popular politician — not only among Labour supporters but the general public.

Yet prosperity in central Manchester, visible in a skyline crowded with cranes and luxury apartment towers, has not translated into widespread affordable housing.

As Labour seeks to fend off Reform in a heavily pro-Brexit seat, Burnham has repositioned himself again.

He has backed tighter immigration measures, said net migration should fall further and endorsed plans to lengthen the time migrants wait before securing permanent settlement.

He has also shifted his position on transgender rights, supporting the High Court’s ruling that single-sex spaces should be based on biological sex, and rejected his previous endorsements of rejoining the EU.

The changes reflect a strategy aimed at voters in places like Makerfield, where Labour’s old industrial base has drifted toward populist right-wing parties.

If Burnham wins on June 18, he would have to resign as mayor.

That would trigger another high-stakes contest: a mayoral election for Greater Manchester, one of England’s most powerful regional offices, overseeing transport, policing, housing and economic development for roughly 2.8 million people.

Such a race could offer Reform or the Greens their most significant elected office to date.

Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.

Follow @jayfranklinlive