Josh Simons, MP for Makerfield, wrote on X: ‘I am 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’
A Labour MP has sensationally announced he is quitting – paving the way for Andy Burnham to return to Parliament.
Former Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons, MP for Makerfield, said the Greater Manchester Mayor is the right man to “drive the change our country is crying out for” in a hammer blow to Keir Starmer. The announcement will pile further pressure on the PM – who faced intense criticism after Mr Burnham was blocked from standing in Gorton and Denton in February.
Mr Burnham has been seeking a route back to the House of Commons so he can challenge under-pressure Mr Starmer for the Labour leadership. It comes hours after his potential rival, Wes Streeting, resigned as Health Secretary, saying the PM cannot continue until the next general election.
Moments after the announcement, Mr Burnham confirmed he would be seeking selection for the seat. He wrote: “I want to recognise the difficult decision taken by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his family are making.”
Mr Simons – who only became an MP in 2024 – wrote on X: “Today, I am putting the people I represent and the country I love first and will be resigning as MP for Makerfield. I am 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.”
Scroll down to see Andy Burnham’s response in full
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He added: “I am in politics because politics is how you change lives for the better. My party has one last chance to do that: deliver for the people and places I represent, drive economic growth, secure our borders, reform our state and politics, and change a status quo that is not working. That is the fight. I believe Andy is the one to lead it.”
In order to become a leadership contender, Mr Burnham first needs to be adopted as a candidate. He then needs to win a by-election, and then secure the support of 81 Labour MPs to challenge Mr Starmer.
A Labour backbencher said Andy Burnham would have “a fighting chance” in Makerfield, despite Reform UK’s success in the area at this year’s local elections.
The MP, a supporter of Mr Burnham, told the Press Association: “Game on. I think if we can get everything else to align, we have a fighting chance.”
But Reform UK promised to “throw absolutely everything” at a by-election. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, said: “We look forward to the contest and we will throw absolutely everything at it.”
Pat McFadden warned of the “political risk” of a by-election and said it was not up to Josh Simons whether Andy Burnham could run in the seat he was vacating.
The Work and Pensions Secretary was speaking live on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme when the Makerfield MP announced he was stepping down to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to run in an effort to return to Westminster.
“I think any unnecessary by-election is always a political risk,” Mr McFadden said. “If Andy puts himself forward as the candidate for that, I don’t know if others will too. Any decision on who should be on a shortlist for the by-election would be taken by the NEC (Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee).”
Asked whether Mr Burnham should be given the green light to stand by the NEC, Mr McFadden said: “MPs don’t get to pick their successors. It doesn’t work like that. There’ll be a selection contest, there’ll be an NEC process, all of that will have to be gone through.”
It comes hours after Mr Streeting resigned from the Cabinet – but did not launch an immediate leadership bid, as had been expected.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Streeting wrote: “It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism.
“It needs to be broad, and it needs to be the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope you will facilitate it.”
Andy Burnham’s statement in full
I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election.
I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics. Ten years ago, I decided to leave Westminster. Why?
Because, after 16 years, I came to the conclusion that our national political system does not work for areas like ours. I learnt this fighting its failure to invest in the Wigan borough, for justice for the Hillsborough families and against its treatment of Greater Manchester during the pandemic.
Over the last decade, I have been challenging this failure from the outside and building a new and better way of doing politics. We have built Greater Manchester into the fastest-growing city-region in the UK and put buses back under public control, introducing a £2 fare cap to help people with cost-of-living pressures. However, there is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester.
Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again. This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people.
Millions are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. It has already made changes to make life better for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to people to come back together as a Labour movement, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place.
I want to recognise the difficult decision taken by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his family are making. I have worked closely with him as Mayor on issues like flooding and illegal waste dumping and have seen first-hand how effective he has been. He has put the communities of Makerfield first, made a real difference for them and should take great pride in that.
Finally, I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times. We will change Labour for the better and make it a party you can believe in again.