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Labour MP stands aside as Andy Burnham eyes return to Parliament

203 replies

Twiglets1 · 14/05/2026 17:32

A scandal-hit Labour MP will give up his seat to make way for Andy Burnham, in the Manchester mayor’s first step to challenging Sir Keir Starmer for No 10.

Josh Simons, a former minister, said on Thursday that he was “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”.

It will trigger a by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield, which has been held by the Labour Party since it was created in 1983.

Mr Simons is a former minister who was forced to resign over his involvement in a smear campaign against journalists carried out while he ran the think tank Labour Together.

“It is my unwavering belief that nothing short of urgent, radical, courageous reform will make a difference,” he said. “That must start with a change in leadership.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/14/keir-starmer-live-rayner-wes-streeting-leadership-contest/

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wanderlustdiaries · 14/05/2026 17:38

SomedayIllBeSaturdayNight · 14/05/2026 17:35

See, this annoys me! The seat does not belong to him, it's not his to give away! If I lived in that constituency I wouldn't vote for Burnham out of principle.

He is elected to serve his constituents in parliament. If he does not support the government it is right he steps down as he will not be able to achieve any meaningful results for his constituents.

I really do hope Burnham wins. The actual progress being made under Labour is brilliant. They’re just woeful with their communication to the public.

SomedayIllBeSaturdayNight · 14/05/2026 17:35

See, this annoys me! The seat does not belong to him, it's not his to give away! If I lived in that constituency I wouldn't vote for Burnham out of principle.

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Twiglets1 · 14/05/2026 17:34

Immediately after Josh Simons announcement that he will step aside to make way for the Greater Manchester mayor, Nigel Farage told The Telegraph: “We look forward to the contest and we will throw absolutely everything at it.”

Makerfield was historically considered a safe Labour seat -- and has voted for the party in every election since 1983, when the constituency was created.

But in the fractured modern political landscape, it is far from certain that Andy Burnham will win this by-election. At the last election, Reform UK was the second-largest party, with 32 per cent of the vote to Josh Simons’s 45 per cent.

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