Khaberni - Polling centers closed late Thursday, and the vote counting began in historic subsidiary elections in Britain that may determine the future of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as one of his rivals competes for the leadership of the Labor Party in an electoral battle to win a parliamentary seat.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, a veteran of the ruling center-left Labor Party, is seeking to win the elections in the Makerfield constituency in Northwest England.
If successful, he can then start his anticipated attempt to oust Starmer from the party leadership position and wrest Downing Street away from him.
Burnham, who hails from the area, said in his latest campaign video posted on social media, "Let's vote for the positive change this country needs, let's forever link this area, this constituency, to a long-awaited change in British politics."
The result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning.
Polls predict Burnham’s victory for the seat, but he faces fierce competition from the hard-right Reform Party represented in this election by Robert Kenyon, a local plumber.
Starmer's popularity, who came to power in July 2024 after the Labor Party's crushing victory in the legislative elections, has plummeted to its lowest levels following several political missteps, attracting severe criticism even from within his party, especially after Labor's crushing loss in the local elections at the beginning of May and the scandal of appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite knowing about his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes.
Since Labor's crushing loss in the May elections against the anti-immigration Reform Party led by Nigel Farage, the Prime Minister faces numerous calls for resignation, including from within his party.
Among them is Burnham, who seeks to return to parliament once again where he was an MP between 2001 and 2017 by running in the Makerfield constituency in the surroundings of Manchester in Northwest England.
This move is indispensable for this former minister, who is 56 years old and gained significant popularity through his defense of the northern England area he hails from to the extent that he was dubbed "the King of the North."
The Prime Minister, who has vowed to struggle to stay in office, reached out to him on Wednesday, wishing him to "play a major role in his government". British media reported that Burnham had refused this offer.
Polling stations opened their doors at 7 AM local time (6:00 GMT).
During the election campaign, Makerfield, with an estimated 76,000 voters at its center, became a focal point in British politics and was visited by numerous political figures, including ministers, MPs, and Nigel Farage.
- "Our Last Hope" -
The Makerfield constituency is traditionally counted as part of the Labor Party, but the party’s dominance decreased in the latest elections, during which "Reform UK" made a breakthrough and won several local seats, including the one for its candidate Robert Kenyon in this legislative election.
Kenyon, born in Makerfield, during his campaign, focused on immigration and taxes but was heavily criticized for previous statements he made involving discrimination against women.
He is also paying the price for the rise of a smaller, more extreme right-wing party than his, "Restore Britain", founded by Robert Lowe close to Nigel Farage and supported by American billionaire Elon Musk.
Finn Noels, a 23-year-old student voting in Makerfield, told Agence France-Presse, "If Andy Burnham wins and becomes Prime Minister, he will be better than Keir Starmer," considering that the latter "doesn't really know what he wants to do" for the country.
In contrast, Hazel Ellis, an activist supporting "Reform UK", stated that she is "ready to give the party a chance, as it is our last hope for Britain."
If Burnham wins the election, like any other aspirant for prime ministership such as the resigned Health Secretary Wes Streeting, he will need to secure the support of 81 out of 400 Labor delegates in the House of Commons, the necessary percentage of support to trigger internal elections within the Labor Party.
Burnham has not revealed when he intends to initiate this process, but his allies hope that a resounding victory for him would prompt Starmer to step down from his position on his own, sparing his party the trouble of potentially divisive elections.
