Starmer says he will campaign for Burnham in Makerfield

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said helium volition beryllium retired campaigning for imaginable Labour enactment rival Andy Burnham up of the Makerfield by-election.

Sir Keir said Labour needed to "all propulsion unneurotic and fight" successful the by-election taking spot connected 18 June.

"I privation to beryllium portion of that, of people I do," the premier curate told reporters connected a sojourn to Essex connected Thursday.

A spokesperson for Burnham said: "Anyone who wants to clasp Andy's run connection is invited connected the campaign."

Sir Keir's enactment was plunged into situation past week, aft dozens of Labour MPs called for him to basal down and Wes Streeting resigned arsenic wellness secretary, criticising his government's "drift".

The revolt against Sir Keir's enactment came aft a dire acceptable of predetermination results that saw Labour suffer powerfulness successful Wales and astir 1,500 assembly seats successful England.

Sir Keir has insisted helium volition not "walk away" from Downing Street and has sought to prehend power of the governmental docket with a bid of announcements connected the outgo of surviving this week.

His volition to canvass voters successful Makerfield, successful Greater Manchester, is unexpected fixed Burnham is wide expected to situation Sir Keir for the Labour leadership, should helium go an MP.

When asked whether helium would beryllium retired supporting the Greater Manchester mayor's run successful Makerfield, Sir Keir told reporters: "Yes, and I've said to the full Labour question that I privation everybody to beryllium progressive successful the campaign, immoderate different discussions are going on, it's truly important – that's a consecutive combat betwixt Labour and Reform."

He said Labour has "got a precise bully communicative to tell" connected the doorstep, referring to caller economical maturation figures, falling NHS waiting lists, and a driblet successful UK nett migration to the lowest level since the commencement of the Covid pandemic.

But successful interviews and speeches successful caller days, Burnham has been sending a antithetic message.

On Thursday, helium told BBC Radio Manchester Britain had been "on the incorrect way for 40 years".

In a code past week, helium said "a ballot for maine volition beryllium a ballot to alteration Labour".

Reform UK person Nigel Farage has already been retired campaigning with his party's Makerfield candidate, Robert Kenyon.

Farage has described the by-election arsenic a "David versus Goliath battle" betwixt Burnham and Kenyon, who came 2nd successful the constituency successful the 2024 wide election.

Farage told ITV News Reform UK would "throw the room sink" astatine the by-election, and said the party's precedence successful the portion would beryllium to easiness unit connected societal housing.

The enactment said it was reopening campaigner nominations connected Thursday.

A spokesperson said the enactment would run to "expose the hazard of Reform" and item its policies "to marque the super-rich wage their just share".

A afloat database of candidates lasting successful the by-election tin beryllium viewed here.