Portsmouth Labour MPs silent on possible Burnham challenge to Starmer
Burnham's by-election victory has sparked leadership questions for Portsmouth labour mps
Portsmouth’s Labour MPs have either avoided or not responded to questions about a potential leadership challenge after Andy Burnham’s by-election victory.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Andy Burnham was elected as the MP for Makerfield in Wigan on Thursday night (18/06/2026).
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester won with 55 per cent of the vote, with Reform UK finishing second on 35 per cent and Restore Britain on seven per cent.
In his acceptance speech, he said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working, everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be”.
“I will give everything i have got to make it so, to ensure the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs. Bringing back something we’ve lost; hope for the future.”
Addressing the Labour Party, he added: “This is a final chance to change, this is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps I stood on, we must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right.”
The scale of Burnham’s victory has prompted fresh speculation about whether he could launch a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In Portsmouth, both Labour MPs have previously defended the Prime Minister following the recent local elections, which saw nearly 1,500 Labour councillors lose their seats.
Asked for her reaction to the result, what it means for Sir Keir’s premiership and whether she would support a Burnham leadership bid, Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin said: “Huge congratulations to Andy Burnham and the team in Makerfield on a truly brilliant result.
“On paper, Makerfield was a top 20 target seat for Reform UK and one of the most favourable for them in the country.
“If Nigel Farage can’t win in Makerfield, how can he seriously claim that Reform can win a General Election? This result proves that people are choosing substance from a Labour government, not populist slogans.”
Nigel Farage described Burnham’s victory as “emphatic” and expressed disappointment with Restore Britain’s vote share. He asked Restore supporters directly: “what do you want? we are the challenger party to the left in this country”.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan was approached for comment.