{"id":60593,"date":"2026-06-11T06:04:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T06:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/60593\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T06:04:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T06:04:19","slug":"the-king-of-the-north-seeks-a-path-to-becoming-britains-next-leader-in-a-special-election-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/60593\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘King of the North’ seeks a path to becoming Britain’s next leader in a special election"},"content":{"rendered":"

ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, England (AP) \u2014 About 75,000 voters in a pocket of northwest England are about to make a momentous decision. They will cast ballots in a contest that may well pick the U.K.\u2019s next prime minister, or plunge Britain’s febrile politics into even more turmoil. Possibly both.<\/p>\n

Some of them aren\u2019t too enthusiastic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re all a waste of time,\u201d said Shirley Prior on the choice of candidates in Makerfield, where a special election on June 18 has drawn interest from journalists around the world. That level of attention is all-but unheard of for a midterm by-election to fill one of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.<\/p>\n

If Andy Burnham from the center-left Labour Party wins, there\u2019s a strong chance he will replace embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader of both party and country. He’s up against Reform UK, a hard-right party hoping to prove that this longtime Labour stronghold is fertile ground for its anti-immigration message, with potentially seismic consequences for British democracy.<\/p>\n

This district has elected Labour lawmakers for 120 years, but Burnham is not a shoo-in. Reform, led by the veteran anti-immigration politician Nigel Farage, won 24 of the 25 council seats up for grabs in local elections in this area last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always voted Labour because my dad, my grandad, everybody voted Labour then,\u201d Prior said. \u201cI\u2019ve never done that for a lot, a lot of years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The election is taking place amid heightened tensions over immigration. A stabbing in Belfast this week, for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder, triggered violent protests in Northern Ireland in which cars and houses torched.<\/p>\n

In the constituency\u2019s main town of Ashton-in-Makerfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London, some voters echo Reform claims that recent arrivals are straining housing and public services.<\/p>\n

\u201cImmigration\u2019s too high, all the services are being put under pressure and Labour just keep inviting more and more people into the country and it\u2019s the taxpayer who has to pay for them,\u201d said retiree Phil Arrowsmith.<\/p>\n

Annual net migration to the U.K. reached more than 900,000 in 2023, under the previous Conservative government, before falling to 171,000 last year.<\/p>\n

That decline has done little to boost a Labour government that has floundered since winning election in July 2024.<\/p>\n

Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain\u2019s ambassador to Washington.<\/p>\n

A dismal performance in local elections last month sparked a clamor from Labour lawmakers for Starmer\u2019s resignation. He has refused, but Cabinet minister Wes Streeting quit so he can run in a leadership contest that could come soon.<\/p>\n

Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, also harbors leadership ambitions, but needs a seat in Parliament if he wants to challenge Starmer. An opening emerged when Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election.<\/p>\n

Burnham said he understands that voters are \u201cfed up\u201d and calls the large Reform UK vote \u201ca cry for real change\u201d that Labour must heed.<\/p>\n

The Makerfield constituency is a capsule of British history, a collection of former coal-mining communities turned commuter suburbs. The slag heaps and slum housing in the area described by George Orwell in his 1937 book \u201cThe Road to Wigan Pier\u201d have been replaced by suburbs of tidy modern houses amid Victorian workers\u2019 cottages, interspersed with farmers\u2019 fields.<\/p>\n

Though far from the city center, it is part of Greater Manchester, and Burnham gets honks and thumbs\u2019 ups from passing drivers as he walks down the street in his smart-casual uniform of dark jeans with a navy blue shirt and jacket.<\/p>\n

The 56-year-old has been mayor of the region of 3 million people since 2017, a period that has seen central Manchester boom, with skyscrapers blooming on postindustrial sites. Many residents praise him for championing the city, and for taking a piecemeal public transport system under municipal control as the Bee Network.<\/p>\n

For a decade and a half before that he was a lawmaker in Parliament, and a minister in Labour governments. He doesn\u2019t emphasize that part of his CV, preferring the outsider status that has seen him nicknamed the King of the North.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve built in Greater Manchester needs to go national,\u201d Burnham told reporters during a campaign event this week. \u201cI know what it is to turn places around.\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign is an odd mix of the local and the international. Some voters cite immigration as a top concern. Others mention struggling main street shops, potholes and petty crime.<\/p>\n

Burnham\u2019s main rival is Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon, a 41-year-old plumber and local councilor who came second to Labour here in the 2024 national election. He says he\u2019s an unpolished regular bloke, though opponents have criticized him over crude, sexist and anti-vaccine comments on social media.<\/p>\n

Reform voters are also being targeted by Restore, an even more hardline anti-immigration party.<\/p>\n

Michael Poultney, a retired teacher and Labour supporter, thinks the unpopularity of Starmer\u2019s government means Burnham faces a stiff challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout his personal vote, I think we would struggle,\u201d he said. \u201cKeir Starmer has done reasonably well on the international stage, but the government are yet to be in control of the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham insists he is running for the people of Makerfield, not his own ambition, and is not taking victory for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am making no assumptions beyond the 18th of June,\u201d Burnham said. <\/p>\n

But he stressed that \u201cthis is a change byelection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will take the fight for the changes I want to see in politics as far as I can take it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n


\n \"Andy<\/p>\n

Andy Burnham smiles during a campaign visit to Ashton-in-Makerfield before the forthcoming by-election, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. CORRECTION: corrects family name to Burnham instead of Bunham (AP Photo\/Jon Super)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

TORONTO (AP) \u2014 Alec Bohm hit a three-run home run, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper also went deep, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Jes\u00fas Luzardo (5-4) allowed one run in 5 2\/3 innings and Jhoan Duran finished for his 17th save in 18 chances as the Phillies won for the seventh time in nine games.<\/p>\n

Phillies outfielder Adolis Garc\u00eda left in the seventh after making consecutive throws to home plate on sacrifice flies. Steward Berroa came on for Garc\u00eda, who was diagnosed with a pulled muscle in his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Bohm and Harper both homered off Max Scherzer (1-4), who allowed five runs and five hits in 3 1\/3 innings. Bohm\u2019s homer was his eighth and Harper\u2019s solo shot was his 15th.<\/p>\n

Schwarber greeted Mason Fluharty with a two-run homer, his baseball-leading 24th.<\/p>\n

Scherzer reached 3,500 career strikeouts when he caught Schwarber looking at an 86 mph change-up to begin the game. Scherzer walked three and struck out four in 3 1\/3 innings, pushing his career total to 3,503. He allowed five runs and five hits.<\/p>\n

The three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star is the 11th pitcher in big league history with 3,500 strikeouts. <\/p>\n

Luzardo allowed four hits, walked four and struck out eight. The Phillies have won each of his past four starts.<\/p>\n

Brandon Valenzuela chased Luzardo with an RBI single in the sixth. Jonathan Bowlan struck out Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez to strand runners at the corners.<\/p>\n

Toronto activated Scherzer off the 15-day injured list before the game. He\u2019d been out since April 24 because of right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.<\/p>\n

Phillies: RHP Andrew Painter (1-7, 6.21 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (7-2, 1.50).<\/p>\n

Blue Jays: Toronto had not named a starter for Friday\u2019s game against the Yankees. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled for New York.<\/p>\n

__<\/p>\n

AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/mlb<\/p>\n


\n \"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm has seeds dropped into his mouth as he celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer during the third inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Toronto<\/p>\n

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer throws a pitch to strike out Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber to record his 3500th strike out during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday June 10, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper (3) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm hits a three-run home run off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer during the third inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday June 10, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mason Fluharty during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday June 10, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

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