A Jewish Member of Parliament will give up his seat to make way for Andy Burnham.
The Mayor of Manchester has confirmed he will seek permission from Labour’s government body to run for Parliament.
Burnham can only run for prime minister in any potential leadership challenge if elected first as an MP.
Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield in north west England, said he was “standing aside so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for.
“It is my unwavering belief that nothing short of urgent, radical, courageous reform will make a difference. That must start with a change in leadership.”
The move, which comes amid Labour’s leadership chaos, will trigger a by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield, which has been held by the Labour Party since it was created in 1983.
In a letter to his constituents, Simons said he believed that Burnham is a leader who has the “radicalism, energy, and immense courage to meet the moment.
“We need to shift the power that is stacked against places like ours. As I have said, I do not believe this government is delivering the urgent, radical, brave reform we need. We need a new direction.
“I believe that Andy Burnham can provide it,” he wrote.
Simons is a former minister who worked on Jeremy Corbyn’s team before becoming an MP, later citing the former Labour leader’s “persistent failure” to tackle antisemitism as the reason for his departure.
Elected in 2024, and previously a junior minister in the cabinet office, he resigned from government in February 2026.
In April, he and his wife, Leah, welcomed a son.
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