Andy Burnham has officially taken his seat in the House of Commons as the new Member of Parliament for Makerfield and immediately declared his intention to contest the leadership of the Labour Party following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.
Burnham was sworn in on Monday to loud applause from Labour MPs, just hours after Starmer announced he would step down as both Prime Minister and Labour leader, setting the stage for a closely watched leadership contest.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester won last week’s Makerfield by-election by a margin of 9,000 votes, defeating the Reform U.K. candidate. The seat became vacant after Labour’s Josh Simons resigned to enable Burnham return to Parliament and seek the Party’s top job.
The swearing-in ceremony featured a few light-hearted moments as Burnham acknowledged fellow lawmakers with smiles and nods. Conservative MP, Sir Desmond Swayne, jokingly shouted, “Rome is saved,” while another voice quipped, “He’s not the messiah.” Burnham laughed off the remarks, replying, “Naughty boy,” in a nod to the classic Monty Python film, Life of Brian.
Earlier on Monday, Burnham confirmed his leadership ambition in a post on X, paying tribute to Starmer’s service while calling for an orderly transition.
“I will put myself forward as part of this process,” he wrote, adding that Britain needs “stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most.”
He said the Labour Party must remain focused on delivering economic growth, tackling the rising cost of living, improving public services, expanding housing and creating better opportunities for younger people, stressing that the leadership contest should not distract from addressing the country’s most pressing challenges.
Burnham also urged Labour members to remain united, saying the Party performs best when it moves forward with “confidence and purpose.”
His leadership bid has already received a major boost from former Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who publicly endorsed Burnham after resigning from government last month over concerns about Starmer’s leadership.
Before leaving for London, Burnham bade an emotional farewell to staff at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, where he served as Mayor.
As a parting gift, colleagues presented him with a Manchester-themed armchair featuring the city’s famous bee emblem and skyline, alongside the inscription, “We do things differently here.”
Addressing staff one final time, Burnham described serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester as the greatest privilege of his career and thanked his team “from the bottom of his heart” for their support.
