\u201cHe beat off Reform absolutely soundly in an area that absolutely should have been delivered to Reform and if anyone else had stood there, we would not be having this conversation now,\u201d she told BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he has earned the right to come and make his case to the parliamentary Labour<\/a> party.\u201d<\/p>\n Birmingham Yardley MP, who previously backed Wes Streeting<\/a> for the leadership position, said she was looking forward to Burnham arriving in Westminster on Monday and seeing prospective candidates of a leadership contest \u201csetting out their stall\u201d.<\/p>\n But she added: \u201cIt would be much better if this wasn\u2019t protracted and didn\u2019t go on for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.56 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Beccy Cooper, Labour MP for Worthing West backing Andy Burnham<\/a>, said he is \u201cnot the messiah\u201d and insisted that \u201cthis doesn\u2019t rest just on one person\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking to Times Radio, she argued that a Burnham-led government would \u201cstill be a Labour<\/a> government\u201d and would stick to the party\u2019s manifesto because \u201cthat\u2019s what people voted for\u201d.<\/p>\n She said a leadership contest involving Keir Starmer<\/a> \u201cis not actually going to benefit our country or the party in the long term\u201d, while adding that she does not \u201cnecessarily want a coronation\u201d for Burnham and would like a new leader in place before the Labour conference in September.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Burnham has shown he can beat Reform and deserves chance to make his case for leadership, says Phillips<\/p>\n Jess Phillips, who quit as safeguarding minister last month<\/a>, said Andy Burnham has \u201cproved his hypothesis\u201d that he could beat Reform in a constituency where many expected Reform to do very well.<\/p>\n \u201cHe beat off Reform absolutely soundly in an area that absolutely should have been delivered to Reform and if anyone else had stood there, we would not be having this conversation now,\u201d she told BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he has earned the right to come and make his case to the parliamentary Labour<\/a> party.\u201d<\/p>\n Birmingham Yardley MP, who previously backed Wes Streeting<\/a> for the leadership position, said she was looking forward to Burnham arriving in Westminster on Monday and seeing prospective candidates of a leadership contest \u201csetting out their stall\u201d.<\/p>\n But she added: \u201cIt would be much better if this wasn\u2019t protracted and didn\u2019t go on for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Jess Phillips during a reception at St James\u2019s Palace, London, to mark International Women\u2019s Day in March. Photograph: PA Images\/Alamy Stock Photo\/Alamy Live News.Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.56 EDT<\/p>\n \u2018Within 10 mins, Andy had nicked it\u2019: illustrator on his ubiquitous image of Andy Burnham<\/p>\n Andy Burnham supporters celebrating at Ashton Town FC on the morning of his Makerfield byelection win. Photograph: Christopher Thomond\/The Guardian<\/p>\n It was shortly after Andy Burnham\u2019s famously rousing speech outside the Manchester Central Library in October 2020 that Stanley Chow decided to draw him. Or rather his wife did.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the pandemic and we were all so down in the dumps at that point,\u201d says the illustrator, speaking from his home in the city this week. But I remember looking around and he had just moved everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was already a good mayor, but at that point we all thought: \u2018Oh shit, he\u2019s really good.\u2019 And then my wife goes: you should draw Andy.\u201d<\/p>\n So he did, using his preferred medium, Adobe Illustrator. \u201cI put it on Twitter and within 10 mins, Andy had nicked it.\u201d<\/p>\n Burnham initially used the image for his Twitter handle, but it has since appeared on billboards, beer mats, mugs, aprons and record inlays, becoming a visual proxy for both his mayoral campaigns and more recent campaigning in Makerfield.<\/p>\n With his spot-on light scowl and navy\/black attire, the image has become shorthand for Burnham\u2019s anti-establishment sentiment. \u201cThere is no tie, no,\u201d says Chow, 51.<\/p>\n After its initial use, Burnham said he was \u201cgrateful to Stan for making me look cooler than I am\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>What will \u2018change\u2019 look like if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister? Andy Burnham\u2019s victory in Makerfield sets up a battle for Downing Street. Allies of the outgoing Greater Manchester<\/a> mayor want him to be installed as prime minister as quickly and painlessly as possible, while those close to Keir Starmer want the Labour leader to fight on.<\/p>\n If he does become prime minister, Burnham will be expected to deliver on the \u201cchange\u201d he promised after his win on Thursday night. But what would that look like, and what policies would his government be likely to pursue?<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s policy editor, Kiran Stacey, explains:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Starmer under pressure to agree to a timetable to relinquish power<\/p>\n Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from cabinet ministers and MPs to avoid a bruising leadership battle and instead set a timetable to hand power to Andy Burnham, who won a resounding majority in the Makerfield byelection<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prime minister pledged to fight to keep his job, but ministers loyal to Starmer have urged him to set out plans to step down over the weekend.<\/p>\n Weakened by collapsing poll numbers and a string of local election losses, one cabinet minister \u2013 who has not previously told the prime minister to go \u2013 said Starmer\u2019s departure was now inevitable.<\/p>\n Keir Starmer meets with local residents during a visit to a housing development in north London on Friday. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid\/Reuters<\/p>\n![\"Jess](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6000.jpg\")
Jess Phillips during a reception at St James\u2019s Palace, London, to mark International Women\u2019s Day in March. Photograph: PA Images\/Alamy Stock Photo\/Alamy Live News.Share<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Morwenna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Morwenna-Ferrier,-L.png\")
Morwenna Ferrier<\/p>\n![\"Kiran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Kiran_Stacey,_L.png\")
Kiran Stacey<\/p>\n