Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Burnham's plans to secure a return to Westminster have received a boost today after Labour's ruling body gave him permission to run for selection for the Makerfield by-election.

Meanwhile, Wes Streeting - who resigned as health secretary yesterday - is ready to stand in any future leadership contest, according to one of his allies.

Here are the key developments from today.

Not a shoo-in yet

Burnham still needs to be selected as the local party's candidate in order to run in Makerfield. But he has had a public show of support from senior people within Labour, including deputy leader Lucy Powell. She says Burnham is needed as a "key player" in Westminster to keep Reform at bay.

'Makerfield by-election will be tough,' Streeting says

Streeting and Burnham are widely seen as potential leadership rivals, but the former health secretary nevertheless endorsed Burnham as a possible Makerfield candidate. Streeting says the "best players" are needed to fight a "tough" by-election, adding that this should "override factional advantage or propping up one person".

What's next?

Sources tell our political correspondent that 18 June is the likely date for the by-election.

If Burnham wants to challenge Starmer's leadership, he'll first need to win the seat and then gather nominations from 81 MPs. It's widely believed he'll face competition from Streeting and former deputy PM Angela Rayner. Here are the hurdles he'd need to overcome to be PM.

We're now closing our live coverage, but you can read more from across the BBC including five scenarios for what happens next. Plus, what does Makerfield make of all this - and can Burnham win?

James Kelly
BBC News

Sixty-nine-year-old Geoff Taylor says he was "born and bred in Ashton-in-Makerfield" and believes Andy Burnham's election success is "not guaranteed".

He is retired and now lives just outside the Makerfield constituency. He says he voted Conservative in the mayoral election and Reform in both the general and recent local elections.

"For decades, you could have put a pig with a red rosette on a box and the locals would have voted for it," he says. "Not now," he adds, pointing out that Reform saw huge election success in the area where he currently lives (Wigan), taking 22 council seats from Labour.

But 79-year-old Eileen Edwards, who lives in the Makerfield constituency, says Burnham is trustworthy and "tells it as it is".

"I would definitely vote for Andy. I trust him more than anyone else. At least when you ask him a question, he answers honestly and says how he thinks things can be sorted out," she says.

She is less flattering about another potential challenger to Keir Starmer's leadership, Wes Streeting, saying he has been "waiting for this to happen" so he can "jump straight in".

"Farage is not the right man either," she says, calling the Reform leader "divisive".

Image source, PA Media

Following Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC)'s decision to allow Andy Burnham to run in the Makerfield by-election should he be selected, several Labour MPs have offered their reaction.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq says it was the "right decision" by the NEC, adding that Labour "members who pay their subs deserve respect and final say".

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP forClapham and Brixton Hill, didn't name Burnham but said "no one should be blocked from standing for office by factional gatekeepers" - a reference to the NEC's decision not to let him stand as candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year.

She adds that she believes Labour's nomination rules are "undemocratic" and "designed to exclude the left".

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who earlier described Burnham as Labour's "best chance of winning", reposted the news of the NEC's decision on social media without offering additional commentary.

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Earlier we reported that the former leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, has suggested she didn’t want her former party to contest the Makerfield by-election.

Lucas said "Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy” and counter the “dire threat of a Reform UK government".

Labour would be the main beneficiary if the Green Party did not put up a candidate in Makerfield.

But a Green source suggests the party was not entertaining the idea.

"The problem is that we just don't know which Andy Burnham is going to turn up, “ the source says.

“Will it be the Blairite politician who went along with years of privatisation and welfare cuts, or the one who has publicly supported proportional representation and expressed support to make changes to the failed economic model? We just don't know.”

Freya Scott-Turner
Live reporter

Image source, Alexandra Meakin

As the constituency of Makerfield braces itself for a by-election that could give Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham the chance to re-enter Parliament, I spoke to an academic about the challenges he faces.

"It is by no means certain that Andy Burnham will be returning to Westminster," says Dr Alexandra Meakin, a lecturer in British politics at the University of Leeds.

She points to Burnham's "excellent name recognition in Makerfield, and high levels of support", which "in normal times, should easily be enough to hold a seat which has been Labour for its whole history, but the local election results show that safe seats are a thing of the past".

This is "especially the case in Makerfield, where Reform won every council ward within the constituency boundaries", Meakin tells me.

"A split of the left-wing vote between Labour and the Green Party could easily allow Reform to cruise to victory."

Hurdles disappearing fast for Burnham, but tough fight for Labour still on cardspublished at 18:08 BST

18:08 BST

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Labour's ruling body, the national executive committee (NEC), has just given permission for Andy Burnham to stand in the candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election.

I'm told it was a majority decision and applications to be Labour's candidate have opened today.

The deadline to get the NEC's permission to stand will be tomorrow - although Burnham has already been okayed.

Applications close on Monday, which is a very similar timetable for Reform UK, who opened their applications to become their candidate yesterday.

The hurdles facing Burnham's return to Westminster seem to be disappearing fast:

• First, Josh Simons announced that he would stand down as the Makerfield MP to make way for Burnham
• Now, Labour's NEC say they will let him put himself forward to be the candidate

Last time, during the Gorton and Denton by-election candidate selection, Keir Starmer led the effort to block Burnham.

But it still could be a really tough fight for Labour, especially considering the local election results in this part of Greater Manchester.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Sources tell the BBC that 18 June is the likely date for the anticipated Makerfield by-election.

Until now, it had been the earliest conceivable date it could be held.

Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) has, in the last hour, published their timetable for candidate selection, after giving the green light to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to apply to enter the contest.

Labour will select their by-election candidate following a local hustings on Thursday 21 May.

Andy Burnham could become an MP in Makerfield, if he is selected to run and wins in the by-election there.

If he wins he could, in theory, then launch a leadership challenge against Starmer - but how would that work?

Candidates

Once a Labour leadership election is triggered, other candidates could join the contest if they also have 81 backers. Starmer would not be required to gather support as he would be automatically on the ballot paper if he chose to contest the leadership election.

Voting

Party members and affiliated trade union supporters vote by ranking the candidates in order of preference – putting a one next to their favourite, two for their second choice and so on.

If one candidate receives more than 50% of first preferences then they will be declared the winner.

If not, then the candidate who finishes bottom will be eliminated and the voters who put them as their number one will see their vote moved to their second choice.

This process of elimination continues until one candidate receives more than half of the votes.

Image source, Reuters

Andy Burnham has now received approval from Labour's ruling body to run for selection in the Makerfield by-election.

This could be his route back to Parliament, which would make him eligible to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. But, there are still several steps the Greater Manchester mayor will have to navigate first.

First, he needs to be selected as the local party's candidate. The current MP Josh Simons yesterday announced he was stepping down to make way for Burnham.

Then, he'll need to win the seat. But, this is no small task after Labour's losses in the recent local elections.

If he makes it back into Parliament, Burnham will then have to gain the support of81 Labour MPs (20% of the 403 in Parliament) to force a leadership election.

In our next post, we'll take a closer look at how a leadership election contest works.

Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC)'s decision to allow Andy Burnham to stand in the Makerfield by-election comes after he was blocked from standing in the Gorton & Denton by-election earlier this year.

The NEC has also set the timeline for the selection contest to take place, with applications to close on Monday 18 May, and a selection meeting occuring on 21 May.

There is, as yet, no definitive timing for the by-election itself, as the writ still needs to be moved in parliament before that date can be set.

And, the Greater Manchester mayor still needs to be selected as the local party's candidate.

A Labour Party spokesperson says that the party's ruling body, the National Executive Committee, "has today given permission to Andy Burnham to stand in the candidate selection process in the forthcoming by-election for the Makerfield constituency".

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Parliament. Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary after losing confidence in the PM. Dozens of Labour MPs have called on Starmer to step down.

However, there has been no leadership contest triggered - yet.

So, what are the five possible scenarios we could see play out in the coming weeks?

Starmer decides to stands down

• The prime minister might simply decide he's had enough, but this option seems unlikely after repeatedly stating he would not "walk away" and would fight any challenge

There is a leadership contest, without Burnham

• Any Labour MP could trigger a leadership contest with the backing of 81 of the party's MPs
• It was thought that Streeting could be the one to do this, until he declared - in his resignation letter this week - that he wanted a "debate about what comes next"

Today, an ally of the former health secretary said he intends to stand as a candidate in any future Labour leadership race

Burnham wins the by-election and fights Starmer for leadership

• This scenario involves a leap of imagination in which Burnham is selected for, and wins, Makerfield and then receives the backing to challenge the PM once in Parliament
• If such circumstances come to pass, they could set Burnham on a course to No 10

Burnham wins by-election and Starmer steps down

• However, a Burnham Makerfield victory would send a clear signal to the PM, who may choose to leave office rather than contest a one-on-one contest with Burnham

Burnham loses by-election and all bets are off

• There's every chance that Burnham could lose the Makerfield by-election
• If this occurs, all bets are off and the paralysis at the top of the Labour Party would enter a new and uncertain phase - while eyes turn to other Labour MPs to see if another challenge would be mounted

For a full run-down of the possible scenarios in detail, read my story.

Image source, Getty Images

Former leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas has suggested she does not want her former party to contest the Makerfield by-election.

Responding to The Guardian, which reports the Green Party will "properly contest" the by-election, she says: "I hope this isn't true."

In a post on X, she adds: "There are times when it’s more important to put country before party."

Lucas' comments come after the Greens announced this morning it has begun selecting candidates for the by-election.

A party spokesperson said: “We are looking forward to the campaign," a party spokesperson said. “We’ve learnt from our campaigning and wins in Gorton and Denton and the recent local elections, and we’ve shown we can beat Reform.”

In her response, Lucas adds that "Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy & counter dire threat of a Reform UK government".

Burnham has previously declared his support for proportional representation - a voting system in which the share of seats a party receives in Parliament is based on the proportion of votes it receives.

The current first-past-the-post electoral system sees candidates with the most votes in each seat being elected, meaning parties can win an election despite receiving a relatively low share of a vote - as long as its opponents receive even less votes.

• Read more about the effect the first-past-the-post system had on the set of UK elections last week

More now from Kemi Badenoch, who says all the Labour Party wants to do is have a "merry-go-round on who gets to be prime minister".

She says Labour "came into office without a plan for government" and that "knowing how to win an election is not the same as knowing how to run a country".

She also says it doesn't matter who represents Labour at the dispatch box: "they are all just as bad as each other".

The Tory leader is asked if she should step down, given her party's losses in the recent elections.

"My party is very pleased that we are making a comeback. We're not where we need to be just yet, but we are doing better than we were last year," she replies, adding that the "the person who has a problem right now is Keir Starmer".

Image source, UK Pool

The Conservatives will have a candidate standing in the Makerfield by-election, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch says.

Speaking to the media during a visit to North Essex, she adds that the Labour party is in "chaos".

"Andy Burnham wants to rock up and just be prime minister despite being out of parliament for a decade," she says.

She adds that the Tories are the "one party" holding them to account in Parliament.

Euan Doak
Reporting from Makerfield

I've been speaking to Makerfield locals about the prospect of Andy Burnham standing as Labour's candidate in the constituency's upcoming by-election.

Stan Crook, who is retired, says Makerfield has been a "Labour stronghold" since he started voting 45 years ago but feels Burnham will "struggle" in the poll.

He says Labour has "let the whole country down" and that he feels Keir Starmer has "not done enough", adding that the jump in popularity for Reform could spell victory for the party.

Gabriel Parkinson says she’s "scared" of right-wing parties and favours the policies of the Green Party, but that she would vote for Burnham as "the choice we have against Reform".

She tells me: "The general vibe about town is that people sort of feel let down."

We have more opinions from locals in the Makerfield constituency in our earlier post.

Sir John Curtice, the BBC's lead elections analyst, says Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, would face a "very formidable challenge" to win the seat in Makerfield's by-election.

He says Labour's 13-point lead over Reform in the 2024 election is a much smaller majority than Labour had in the Runcorn by-election, which Reform narrowly won last year.

Curtice also points to Reform's recent success in the borough of Wigan, where the party won 24 of the 25 seats available.

He says that while the by-election looks like an opportunity for Reform to add to its successes, a Burnham win would clearly demonstrate his ability to turn things around for the Labour Party.

By the BBC's Visual Journalism team

In the past 24 hours, Makerfield has been thrust into the spotlight. It could become a key part of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's route back into Parliament.

The region's MP, Josh Simons, announced yesterday he would be standing down to make way for Burnham - which has triggered a by-election.

More than 100,000 people live in the constituency in North West England, which includes suburbs south of Wigan and the town of Ashton-in-Makerfield.

But what do we know about the region, and the people who will be voting in the by-election? We've taken a look in the graphic below:

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As we’ve been reporting, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will decide whether Andy Burnham can stand as a candidate in the Makerfield by-election.

The NEC is the governing and administrative body of the party, with responsibility for things like developing policy and candidate selections.

The Burnham candidacy won’t be put to all members of the NEC though.

The decision will be made by a ten-member officer committee, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell.

I’m told it’s likely the committee will meet to discuss Burnham’s bid to be a candidate this weekend.

The NEC rejected Burnham’s application to be a candidate in February’s Gorton and Denton by-election.

But the political winds are blowing in a different direction as Starmer faces a mutiny against his leadership.

The BBC has already reported that Starmer will not seek to block Burnham from becoming the Labour candidate in Makerfield.

One NEC source said "the party would explode" if Burnham was thwarted again.

How much could the Makerfield by-election, and possible Manchester mayoral election, cost?published at 14:33 BST

14:33 BST

By Anthony Reuben

When Labour’s National Executive Committee blocked Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in January, one of the reasons it gave was the cost of holding an election for a new Greater Manchester mayor if he became an MP.

If Burnham is selected as a candidate for the Makerfield by-election, the rules would allow him to stand in a Parliamentary election while still being mayor, but if he won then he would have to resign his mayoralty.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) told BBC Verify that the 2024 mayoral election cost it £4,719,754. The GMCA’s funding includes grants from central government and money raised from taxpayers locally.

In addition, there is also the cost of the Makerfield by-election after Josh Simons announced he is standing down to make way for Burnham.

The maximum cost that returning officers can claim back for Parliamentary elections is set out in legislation that specifies it for each constituency, external.

The figure for Makerfield is £226,208.