Keir Starmer, forsætisráðherra Bretlands og leiðtogi Verkamannaflokksins, segist ætla að freista þess að standa af sér mögulegt áhlaup frá Andy Burnham, nýrri vonarstjörnu flokksins. Burnham náði kjöri á þing í aukakosningum í gær.
Leiðtogaslagur er í uppsiglingu í Verkamannaflokknum eftir að Burnham, vinsæll borgarstjóri Stór-Manchester-svæðisins, var kjörinn þingmaður Makerfield í aukakosningum sem fóru fram í gær.
Ríkisstjórn Starmer hefur verið gríðarlega óvinsæl um langa hríð og forsætisráðherrann sjálfur átt í vök að verjast vegna fjölda mála, þar á meðal fyrir að skipa sendiherra í Bandaríkjunum sem hafði náin tengsl við Jeffrey Epstein, bandaríska auðkýfinginn og kynferðisbrotamanninn.
Verkamannaflokkurinn fór síðan illa út úr sveitarstjórnarkosningum sem fóru fram í síðasta mánuði. Fjöldi þingmanna flokksins kröfðust þess að Starmer segði af sér í kjölfarið en hann sat sem fastast.
„Allir vita að stjórnmálin virka ekki þessa stundin. Allir finna að landið er ekki þar sem það ætti að vera. Kvöldið í kvöldi gæti, gæti mögulega, verið vendipunktur,“ sagði Burnham í sigurræðu sinni.
Skorast ekki undan ef til leiðtogakjörs kemur
Starmer óskaði Burnham til hamingju með sigurinn í færslu á samfélagsmiðli og fagnaði því að kjósendur hefðu valið von og bjartsýni Verkamannaflokksins fram yfir sundrung og hatur. Burnham vann öruggan sigur á Rob Kenyon, frambjóðanda Umbótaflokksins, þjóðernisíhaldsflokks sem fer með himinskautum í skoðanakönnunum á landsvísu.
Þó að djúpstæð óánægja sé með Starmer innan Verkamannaflokksins getur Burnham ekki gengið að stól hans vísum. Starmer sagðist ætla að taka þátt í leiðtogakjöri ef til þess kemur.
„Ég hef ítrekað sagt að ég ætli ekki að skorast undan því,“ sagði Starmer.
Legði Burnham Starmer í leiðtogakjöri tæki hann við sem forsætisráðherra á miðju kjörtímabilinu. Til þess að efna til leiðtogakjörs þarf Burnham að tryggja sér stuðning fimmtung þingflokksins í neðri deild breska þingsins, alls 81 þingmanns.
With Andy Burnham having won the Makerfield by-election, a leadership challenge looks likely.
In the event that Burnham and Starmer face off, our Labour members poll in May showed Burnham ahead by 59% to 37%
yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
[image or embed]
— YouGov ( @yougov.co.uk ) June 19, 2026 at 6:43 AM
Skoðanakönnun Yougov frá því í maí benti til þess að 59 prósent félaga í Verkamannaflokknum styddu Burnham í mögulegu leiðtogakjöri en 37 prósent Starmer.
Read the full article at Vísir →📄Source document: British National Broadcaster
6 reports
RÚV FréttirState / PublicCenter2 days agoAndy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, won a significant victory in the by-election in the Makerfield constituency in England. This win positions him to challenge Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, for leadership within the party. Burnham has previously attempted leadership roles within the party without success but now appears to have stronger support among Labour MPs who believe he is the best candidate to regain voter trust. Burnham, born in Liverpool in 1970, grew up in Culcheth between Manchester and Liverpool. His parents worked for BT and were active supporters of the LabourParty
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual information about Andy Burnham's political career, election results, and personal background without overtly favoring any political side. It includes details about his past attempts at leadership, current support within the Labour Party, and his personal history, which,
VísirIndependentCenter2 days agoKeir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party in the UK, has indicated he does not plan to step down immediately following Andy Burnham's election as the new leader of the party. Burnham won the leadership contest after securing a majority in the additional elections held yesterday. The Labour Party has faced declining popularity for some time, and Starmer himself has been under scrutiny over various issues, including his appointment of an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Despite poor performance in recent local elections, Starmer remains in position as leader, though some members have been
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It reports on internal party dynamics and leadership changes without taking a clear stance on Starmer or Burnham.
Morgunblaðið / mbl.isIndependentCenter2 days agoAndy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, won a by-election in England on Thursday, securing a seat in the UK Parliament. He is expected to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party in the future. Starmer congratulated Burnham on social media, praising Labour's campaign of 'hope and optimism' over 'division and hate'. Both are members of the Labour Party.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the election results and quotes Keir Starmer's public congratulations without apparent bias. It does not use loaded language or emphasize one side over the other.
RÚV FréttirState / PublicCenter2 days ago Burnham won a great victoryAndy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, won a significant victory in the by-elections held in the Makerfield constituency between Manchester and Liverpool in England. He secured a seat for the Labour Party in the UK Parliament with approximately 24,927 votes according to the British national broadcaster. Rob Kenyon, who ran for the Conservative Party, received 15,696 votes. The other four candidates received fewer than 3,200 votes each. Burnham, who is considered a potential successor to Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, has stated his readiness to lead the Labour Party and take over as PM.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual results of an election and includes direct quotes from Burnham without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It provides context about Burnham’s political background and mentions his potential succession to Starmer but does not frame the information in a clearly
Official sources cited
- organisation British National Broadcaster
RÚV FréttirState / PublicCenter2 days ago Burnham won a historic victoryAndy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, won a significant victory in the by-elections held in the Makerfield constituency between Manchester and Liverpool in England. He secured a seat for the Labour Party in the UK Parliament with approximately 24,927 votes according to the British national broadcaster. Rob Kenyon, who ran for the Conservative Party, received 15,696 votes. The other four candidates received fewer than 3,200 votes each. Burnham, who is considered a potential successor to Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, has stated his readiness to lead the Labour Party and take over as PM.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual results of an election and includes direct quotes from Burnham without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It mentions Burnham's potential succession to Starmer but does not frame this as positive or negative.
Official sources cited
- government British national broadcaster
Morgunblaðið / mbl.isIndependentCenter3 days ago The election could be a catalyst for Starmer.The article discusses upcoming UK by-elections in the district of Makersfield, which could have significant implications for the future of Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party. The focus is on Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who is running for a parliamentary seat. Burnham, known as the 'king of the north,' is popular among voters and not associated with the unpopularity of Starmer's government. Burnham previously resigned from his parliamentary position after his colleague Josh Sims stepped down.
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual information about an upcoming election and mentions political figures without overtly favoring any side. It does not include biased language, one-sided sourcing, or omissions that would indicate a clear ideological lean.
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