France, June 19 -- Burnham, a former government minister who has been Greater Manchester mayor since 2017, ensured his return to parliament by easily beating the hard-right Reform UK party's candidate in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England.

The 56-year-old longtime figure in centre-left Labour wants to replace Starmer as party leader and prime minister, and needed to win the high-stakes vote to be in a position to trigger such a contest.

If Starmer does leave office this year, then Britain will get its seventh prime minister in 10 years.

"I do say to my own party, this is a final chance to change," Burnham said in his acceptance speech after securing nearly 55 percent of the vote, beating Reform's Robert Kenyon by more tha...