It’s Been a Wild Week in British Politics. What Happens Next?

Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer remains in power despite internal turmoil, including the resignation of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who criticized Starmer but failed to trigger an immediate leadership challenge. Streeting lacked the required support of 81 Labour MPs to force a contest, leaving Starmer’s position fragile but intact for now. Andy Burnham, the popular Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, has gained a path to Downing Street after a lawmaker from Makerfield, a northwest England district, announced plans to resign. Burnham now seeks to win the special election in Makerfield, where Reform UK—led by Nigel Farage—came second in the 2024 general election, just 5,000 votes behind Labour. Recent local polls show Reform winning over half the vote in Makerfield, while Labour secured only 23%, raising concerns about Burnham’s ability to flip the seat. Burnham’s campaign hinges on winning local Labour activist backing before the election, which could be held as early as June 18 or 25. The party’s National Executive Committee approved his candidacy, though earlier this year, it blocked him from running in another northern seat, citing his mayoral duties—a decision critics argue was politically motivated to stifle his challenge to Starmer. A victory in Makerfield would solidify Burnham as Starmer’s leading rival, leveraging his northern roots and left-wing appeal to counter Reform UK’s rising support. Farage has vowed to deploy all resources to defeat Burnham, framing the election as a test of Labour’s ability to resist the populist right. If successful, Burnham would return to Parliament as a strong contender to replace Starmer as party leader and prime minister.