Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is now positioned to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the governing Labour Party and to seize the top job.

Andy Burnham, newly elected Labour Party lawmaker, greets a supporter following his victory in the Makerfield by-election, in Wigan on Friday. (Temilade Adelaja/Reuters)

The politician maneuvering to push British Prime Minister Keir Starmer out of his job, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, won a special parliamentary election Thursday, a key step toward a leadership battle for control of the ruling Labour Party