Labour MP Josh Simons Resigns to Make Way for Andy Burnham’s Comeback
In a significant political move, Labour MP Josh Simons announced his resignation from parliament on Thursday. His decision aims to create an opportunity for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to Westminster and potentially challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a message shared on social media platform X, Simons said, “Today, I am putting the people I represent and the country I love first. I will be resigning as MP for Makerfield.”
He emphasized that stepping aside would allow Burnham to come back to Parliament and advocate for the changes the country needs. “If elected, he can drive the change our country is crying out for,” Simons added.
This announcement follows another development in the Labour Party, as health minister Wes Streeting also resigned earlier in the day, calling for a leadership contest to remove Starmer from his position.
Simons’s resignation means that a special election will be necessary to fill his Makerfield seat, which he won by a margin of 5,399 votes in the 2024 elections against a candidate from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. However, with Reform’s rising popularity and Labour’s recent decline, the upcoming election is expected to be competitive.
