Victory Speech in Makerfield
Andy Burnham delivered a victory speech after winning the Makerfield by-election. In the address, he called for political change and national unity following his declaration as the constituency's new Member of Parliament.
Election Results
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election for Labour with a 55% share of the vote. The Independent published a video report titled "Watch: Burnham calls for political change after by-election victory" regarding this event.
Implications for Greater Manchester Mayoral Role
Burnham became the first directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. He won two further terms prior to this recent by-election victory. Upon his return to parliamentary politics, an election was automatically triggered to find a new mayor for Greater Manchester because sitting MPs cannot serve as regional mayors.
The role of regional mayor incorporates that of police and crime commissioner; therefore, Burnham's status as a sitting MP prevents him from holding the regional office simultaneously. The date set for the Greater Manchester mayoral vote is July 30. The BBC reported under the headline "Andy Burnham's win means change at the top for Greater Manchester" that his return to parliamentary politics has automatically triggered an election to find a new mayor for Greater Manchester.
The article notes that sitting MPs cannot serve as regional mayors, because the regional role incorporates the role of police and crime commissioner. The date for the Greater Manchester vote is 30 July.