Labour’s Andy Burnham has claimed a landslide victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election.
He is now set to return to Westminster and is likely to officially challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party leadership.
Allies of Mr Burnham are calling on Sir Keir to hand over the keys to No 10, but the prime minister has repeatedly insisted that he has no intention of walking away.
Speaking after the results were counted, Mr Burnham hailed his victory as a “turning point” and said that Labour has a “final chance to change”.
Here is Mr Burnham’s victory speech, in full.
“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working.
“Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.
“From here on 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 – hope for the future.
“I am proud that this place has shone in the world’s spotlight for the last few weeks and the warmth, humour and hospitality of its people has been on show for all to see. It will never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone.
“A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.
“I spoke in the campaign about the need to change politics. I promised to lead by example, from the front, as your Member of Parliament.
“I know people who traditionally vote for the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and perhaps more recently for Reform UK, have given me their support in this election. I will always have respect to them for that. And out of respect for them, I will always take a place-first, rather than a party-first, approach and I will focus on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.
“And I will work hard after this by-election to heal the divisions of this campaign. And let it be really understood that I will be your MP, however you voted.
“When this borough went to the polls in May, it made a loud cry for change. In this campaign we have begun to answer that.
“But I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.
“But there is a chance now from this result tonight to build a new politics based on unity and hope. Turning away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States.
“We must now take this path and put this country back on the right path, and bring people back together and get things working properly again.
“It is with some sadness that this result brings an end to my wonderful nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester.
“This city region has given so much to me. And it is a wrench to leave the job I love. But I am not leaving the service of Greater Manchester. I’ve always been clear that it can’t achieve everything it should be and we can’t close the north-south divide, and we can’t make all the great English cities be what they should be without big change at the national level.
“I always knew one day I would seek to go back to Westminster to complete that unfinished business so that Makerfield and Greater Manchester, and the north of England, can fulfil their potential.
“This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody.
“People here have voted for change. They have voted for more power for the North and everywhere forgotten by Westminster. They have voted for hope. Now, let’s give that back to them.”
