LONDON, June 19 -- Labour politician Andy Burnham has entered the British parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, a result that is expected to intensify pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid growing divisions within the governing Labour Party.

Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, secured victory in the northwest England constituency with 24,927 votes, comfortably ahead of the candidate from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, who finished second with 15,696 votes.

The result gives Burnham a seat in parliament and positions him as a potential challenger to Starmer's leadership. In his victory speech, Burnham described the outcome as a possible "turning point" for British politics and urged Labour to respond to concer...