Andy Burnham has confirmed he plans to challenge Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, as he faced Reform’s candidate Robert Kenyon in a special BBC debate before the Makerfield by-election this month.
The Greater Manchester mayor participated in the live broadcast of Question Time, alongside candidates from the Lib Dems, the Conservatives and the Greens.
Mr Burnham will challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership should he be elected on 18 June.
Reform UK's Robert Kenyon refused to apologise for previous sexist comments about women and in particular to television presenter Carol Vorderman. He said his comment had been “crass” and he did not believe things he said 15 years ago.
But challenged to look into the camera and say sorry to Ms Vorderman, he said: “I never actually said anything to Carol. Our commented on a comment. Don't get me wrong, it was disgusting comment that somebody else had written, but I commented on the comments.”
The Independent found that an account linked to Mr Kenyon wrote that women can’t “ref, drive or give directions” and declared: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
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Key points
- Andy Burnham announces he will challenge Starmer
- We have two-tier policing in UK, Reform candidate insists
- Kenyon refuses to apologise for sexist comments
- Burnham pledges swift social care system overhaul
- From ‘plucky plumber’ to ‘King in the North’: Who the candidates are
Downing Street responds to Burnham's announcement that he will challenge Starmer
22:54 , Daniel KeaneThe process for challenging the Labour leadership “has not been triggered”, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “will not walk away”, Downing Street has said.
It comes after Andy Burnham said he will challenge Sir Keir if he wins the Makerfield by-election.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “With Keir Starmer’s leadership, this Labour Government is supporting people with the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists, restoring control of our borders and lifting half a million children out of poverty.
“The country expects us to focus on governing and to deliver change for hardworking people, not get distracted by Westminster debates.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and it has not been triggered.
“The Prime Minister will not walk away from the mandate he was given just two years ago to build a stronger, fairer Britain.”
Migrants driving up rents, Kenyon claims
22:04 , Jane DaltonReform UK candidate in the Makerfield by-election Rob Kenyon claimed migration is driving up rents in the area, because out-of-town developers buy up pubs and large houses “to turn them into houses of multiple occupation for companies to rent to illegal immigrants”.
Burnham says anti-racism guidance has not ‘got it right’
21:46 , Jane DaltonAnti-racism guidance has not “got it right”, Andy Burnham has said after the Henry Nowak case.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has announced it will review guidance that advises police to treat ethnic minorities differently to get them better outcomes.
“I think there’s something here that needs to be applied nationally in terms of stepping back from this possibility that the police could be seen as two-tier,” Mr Burnham told the BBC’s Question Time by-election special.
He added: “I think it’s right that the government are reviewing this guidance, because I don’t think this guidance that was issued related to the police race action plan has got it right.”
Burnham says case to 'look again' at carrying of knives for religion
21:43 , Kate DevlinAndy Burnham was asked about the carrying of knives after the murder of Henry Novak, who was stabbed to death by a man who claimed that, as a Sikh, he was carrying the knife for religious reasons.
Asked if he would support a ban on people carrying knives for that reason, Mr Burnham said: “I think there's a case to look at that again.”
He said there was currently an exemption, because it is an important part of the Sikh religion, adding: “But in a world where we do have serious challenges with knife crime, I think it needs to be looked at. Although it needs a very careful debate is what I would say.”
Watch: Kenyon says UK has to 'get a grip on two-tier policing'
21:42 , Jane DaltonAnalysis: Burnham finally confirms he will challenge Starmer
21:40 , Kate Devlin, Whitehall EditorHe could hardly deny it. The real story of this by-election is that the people of Makerfield might be about to choose the country’s next prime minister.
Interestingly, Andy Burnham talked about joining a contest. He told the Question Time audience: “I think Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running, I would seek to join it.”
But many Labour MPs believe that were Mr Burnham to win - by no means a given - and win big there might be effectively a coronation, instead of a contest.
And that Mr Burnham could even be in No 10 by the summer. Which only increases the pressure on him to win votes in a seat where Reform performed very well in last month’s local elections.
Watch: Kenyon refuses to apologise to Carol Vorderman
21:36 , Jane DaltonWe have two-tier policing in UK, Reform candidate insists
21:33 , Jane DaltonThe Reform UK candidate has insisted police treat black and white people differently.
Asked about the police reaction to the murder of student Henry Nowak in Southampton, Robert Kenyon said: “I think it just goes to show that there is a two-tiered policing system in this country.
“I think it's clear for everyone to see that, you know, unfortunately, the accusations of racism, has been taken more seriously than the cries for help from a dying lad who said he couldn't breathe and he was, had been stabbed.”
Asked about Nigel Farage not condemning the violent scenes on the streets, Mr Kenyon said: “Giolence is not the answer to this. What we need to do is make sure we do it politically.”
He said Reform wanted 30,000 extra police officers on the street.
Regardless of religious background, knives should be completely banned, he said.
LibDem says closer EU ties would bring £25bn to economy
21:24 , Jane DaltonLibDem candidate Jake Austin says his party wanted closer EU ties was “because that brings an extra £25 billion back into the economy on a yearly basis”.
“That £25 billion could do a hell of a lot of good stuff in our constituency, could revitalise our high streets. It could help us cut the cost of living, it could help with building foreign infrastructure,” he said.
How to watch the Makerfield by-election debate
21:14 , Jane DaltonThe show starts at 10.40pm on BBC One, just after the 10 o’clock news, but it is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
You can listen to the episode live from 9pm on the BBC Sounds app, or follow the coverage on the BBC News website or app.
Burnham announces he will challenge Starmer
21:00 , Jane DaltonAndy Burnham said in the debate: "I'm not somebody who gets ahead of myself. I can't do anything unless I'm lucky enough to get the support of people here.
“But if I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level and give this constituency maximum power and influence.
*I think Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running, I would seek to join it.
“But I'd have to persuade members of the Parliamentary Labour Party to do the same. So that's the only question... I've said to my team, let's have a proper look at this and let's develop a policy."
Kenyon refuses to apologise for sexist comments
20:55 , Jane DaltonRobert Kenyon, Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, has refused to apologise for his comments about women and about TV presenter Carol Vorderman that were widely seen as sexist and offensive.
Asked about such comments, which included saying abortion was “the cowardly act of women murdering defenceless baby”, he told Question Time that a lot of the things he said were 15 years ago and he admitted having made mistakes.
“I was brought up by women. I've got nothing but respect for women,” he said.
“I've said things years ago that I wouldn't say now.”
Asked to apologise directly to Ms Vorderman, he said: “It was disgusting comment that somebody else had written, but I commented on the comments.”
He insisted: “It was a crass joke and not something I’d say now.”
Watch: Badenoch says family of Henry Nowak 'want answers' after meeting
20:40 , Jane DaltonBurnham faces a crunch Question Time that could make of break his by-election chances - and his hopes of becoming PM
20:37 , Kate Devlin, Whitehall EditorTonight’s edition of the BBC’s Question Time is high-risk for both Andy Burnham and his Reform opponent.
The Greater Manchester mayor will have to walk a tightrope. He has to convince locals in Makerfield he is not trying to use the seat simply to become PM, while at the same time appealing to the wider British public he soon hopes to lead.
Reform’s Robert Kenyon is untested on a national stage and will face pressure from all the other members of the panel, not just Burnham.
The hour-long grilling they get could make or break this crunch by-election.
Nowak family agree common sense needed on equality, says Badenoch
20:30 , Jane DaltonTory leader Kemi Badenoch said murder victim Henry Nowak’s family had agreed with her when they met that “we need to bring common sense back” to how equality is treated under the law.
She wrote: “Today I have met Lucy, Mark and Katie, Henry Nowak’s mother, father and stepmother. Their courage is extraordinary.
“They have endured the most appalling loss, it is a life sentence for them.
“They have also faced the agonising decision to release the harrowing body-worn camera footage, knowing how painful it would be and how strongly people would react. They did so because they want truth, accountability and change.
“They have asked that we work across political parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police. That trust has been broken because of what happened, and I agree with them on that.
“We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change.
“Henry’s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a family who have friends across faith and race, and so did Henry. His family want his memory to help bring our society together.
“Everyone knows I have strong views about how we should deal with equality under the law. What the family agreed with me on is that we need to bring common sense back, and that is what we should all be fighting for.
“I promised the family that we will work to ensure there is a positive legacy for Henry out of this tragedy. That is my focus now.”
Burnham rules out snap general election
20:20 , Jane DaltonAndy Burnham has appeared to rule out holding a snap general election should he become prime minister.
“Calling a general election? I’m sorry, I think there’s a limit to how much time people want people to be on their doorsteps, isn’t there?” he told The Guardian.
He suggested that Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield who stepped aside to make way for his run, and who is understood to be working on policy for him, could be part of any future team.
“There’s no guarantees,” he said, but when asked whether he would like to continue working with him, added: “Yeah, I would.”
Burnham did not rule out trying to find another seat should he lose the by-election to Reform UK.
Watch: Henry Nowak's family leave No 10 after meeting Starmer
20:15 , Jane DaltonFarage says he will meet family of murdered student
20:05 , Jane DaltonNigel Farage has said he will meet the family of murdered student Henry Nowak.
The Reform UK leader, who has been criticised for his response to the case after violent protests erupted, said he condemned all violence and had been careful not to blame the police officers involved.
He told GB News: “We are going to meet. I don’t know when, but we have agreed to meet.”
Asked why he did not immediately condemn the scenes in which nearly a dozen officers were injured in clashes with protesters on Tuesday, Mr Farage said: “Of course I condemn all violence. I always have… I’ve never, in 35 years of being in politics, advocated people going outside the law.
“When I did that big video that got all those millions of views, I was quite careful not to blame the police officers themselves too much.”
Asked about criticism from other MPs, he said: “I’m more in touch with the great British public than they are on this.”
Burnham beats Reform in Makerfield poll – but only just
19:50 , Jane Dalton
Burnham beats Reform in first Makerfield by-election poll – but only just
We'll do whatever is needed, vows Starmer
19:38 , Jane DaltonPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to take “whatever action is required to right the wrongs in this case” after meeting the family of murdered student Henry Nowak.
He said: “I was profoundly humbled to meet Henry Nowak’s family, Mark, Lucy and Katie, in Downing Street this afternoon, and to see their dignity and strength in the face of unimaginable pain.
“I was moved to learn more about Henry - his kindness, his warmth, and his love of football - and am grateful to his family.
“There is no doubt he had a bright future ahead of him, a future cruelly stolen from him in appalling circumstances.
“Henry deserves a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy, and I am committed to making that happen.
“I am determined that we do everything in our power to prevent other families from suffering such a devastating loss.
“There are difficult questions that need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry’s murder. The Independent Office for Police Conduct are investigating.
“We will be unflinching in taking whatever action is required to right the wrongs in this case.
“It is our duty now to ensure that lessons are learned, that justice is delivered and that we choose unity and progress over division and hatred. This is the only way to honour Henry’s memory.”
Burnham backs Mahmood's immigration curbs
19:25 , Jane DaltonLabour candidate Andy Burnham has backed home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s controversial changes to immigration.
“I applaud the home secretary, actually, for the way in which she’s faced up to some of the issues that need to be gripped,” he said.
He would not “shy away” from concerns over small boat crossings, he told The Guardian. “We do need to consider further approaches to the issue that are perhaps more robust.”
But he added there had to be “balance” in the system, with safe routes to the UK for refugees, and a route to work for people already in the country so they could contribute to the economy, rather than being “left in limbo” for long periods.
Burnham rules out fresh referendum on rejoining EU
18:52 , Jane DaltonAndy Burnham says the government’s focus should be relentlessly domestic before think about the UK’s relationship with other countries.
Ruling out having another referendum on rejoining the EU, he told The Guardian: “I’ve got a really clear position. Some people call it a U-turn. It isn’t. I remain of the view I’d like to see us rejoin in my lifetime. That doesn’t mean you rerun the referendum now.”
He added: “I personally believe - and nothing is new because of the by-election - that rerunning Brexit now would be a mistake, because it would just entrench that feeling of division.
“We’ve got to fix our own fundamentals before we then think about our relationship with other countries. Our focus should be relentlessly domestic in this moment, and then we come to those issues another time.”
‘Women can’t ref, drive or give directions’: Reform candidate sexism row deepens
18:35 , Jane Dalton
‘Women can’t ref, drive or give directions’: Reform candidate sexism row deepens
Burnham pledges swift social care system overhaul
18:06 , Jane DaltonAndy Burnham says he would begin to transform the crumbling social care system this year if he became prime minister, including looking at inheritance tax and care charges to help fund it.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Greater Manchester mayor said: “It is urgent, the need to fix social care, and I personally would look at all of the kind of implications of that in relation to inheritance tax and care charges and everything. I wouldn’t flinch from it.”
In recent years he has talked about replacing inheritance tax with a progressive “care levy” to fund a national care service.
He accused Westminster of “flinching away” from tackling difficult policy problems, saying politicians must be willing to take on “the weight of the system” that stands in the way of radical change.
Burnham first tried to change the social care system when he was Labour’s health secretary in 2009, when he planned a levy on estates to pay for universal social care.
He suggested bringing forward the Casey review, which is due to draw up proposals for change from 2028. He said he would like it published by the end of this year, focusing on measures that could be implemented quickly.
Inside the Brexit-voting Labour stronghold that could decide the next prime minister
18:04 , Jane Dalton
Inside the Brexit-voting Labour stronghold that looks set to determine our next PM
Will Burnham's 'reformed Blairite' image work in Makerfield?
17:52 , Jane DaltonPolitical editor David Maddox says Andy Burnham needs Blair’s winning formula but must simultaneously prove to a sceptical Labour Party that he has left the Blair days behind:
Burnham positions himself as a reformed Blairite – but will that work in Makerfield?
Labour has not learnt lessons from Tories on changing leader, minister says
17:41 , Jane DaltonLabour has not learnt lessons from the Tories on “changing the leader at the top”, a minister has said, as he noted that “entitlement is not a qualification for leadership”.
The business secretary said: “I don’t think we’ve learnt the lessons of the Tory party in government, where every time there was a problem that was experienced with their government, there was only one solution, and that’s changing the leader at the top.
“There was never any acceptance in the Tory party at the time that the challenges that they had were related to a programme of government… and they always just felt that changing the person at the top would solve it.”
Mr Kyle expressed his “frustration” over his party’s failure to learn that lesson and criticised colleagues who “blame one person” and fail to “accept responsibility for our collective endeavour as a government”.
The Makerfield by-election candidates
17:37 , Jane Dalton
Who are the Makerfield by-election candidates?
How can I watch the Makerfield by-election debate?
17:22 , Daniel KeaneLabour’s Andy Burnham and Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon are due to face on another in a special edition of BBC Question Time ahead of the Makerfield by-election.
They will be joined by other candidates from the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and the Greens.
The show starts at 10.40pm on BBC One, just after the 10 o’clock news, and it will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, from 9pm.
You can listen to the episode live from 9pm on the BBC Sounds app, or follow the coverage on the BBC News website/app.
