Burnham Win Ignites Labour Leadership Battle

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, won the Makerfield seat with nearly 55% of the vote, using his victory speech to outline a vision for Britain's future.

His ally Louise Haigh publicly urged Starmer to 'leave quietly' or face a 'brutal, unpleasant' fight.

The Prime Minister has secured a 'six-figure' war-chest for a leadership battle, but many Labour MPs believe the party needs a change to challenge Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The internal turmoil deepened as Cabinet ministers Burns, Cooper, and Mahmood were named as potential chancellor candidates under a Burnham government.