Andy Burnham has stormed the Makerfield by-election, clearing the pathway for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the top job in Downing Street. Starmer has vowed to defend his position, but will Burnham’s team be able to cajole him into resignation? Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Financial Times commentators, Inside Politics columnist Stephen Bush, political editor George Parker and Northern England correspondent Jennifer Williams to discuss what could play out in Westminster over the coming weeks, who a Burnham premiership would have as chancellor, and what Reform’s defeat in Makerfield means for Farage.
Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher or @lucyfisher.ft.com; Jen @JenWilliams_FT or @jenwilliamsft.bskyb.social; Stephen @stephenkb & @stephenkb.bsky.social and George @GeorgeWParker & @georgewparker.bsky.social
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Andy Burnham storms to by-election victory in challenge to Keir Starmer
What Andy Burnham now needs to do to become prime minister
Andy Burnham’s landslide win should worry Nigel Farage
‘Abysmal’: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK suffers another by-election blow
Who is Andy Burnham, Labour’s charismatic chameleon?
Can anyone stop Andy Burnham from becoming Labour leader?
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Political Fix was presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Persis Love and Clare Williamson. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The FT’s global head of audio is Flo Phillips.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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