UPDATE 1-UK parliamentary election, key to possible Burnham leadership bid, set for June 18

An election for a seat in Britain's parliament, set to ‌be contested by possible Labour Party leadership candidate Andy Burnham, will take place on June 18, the local ‌council in northern England said in a notice ‌on Wednesday. Burnham, seen as a challenger to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would need to win the Makerfield seat near Manchester ⁠before ​launching any ⁠formal leadership challenge.

An election for a seat in Britain's parliament, set to ‌be contested by possible Labour Party leadership candidate Andy Burnham, will take place on June 18, the local ‌council in northern England said in a notice ‌on Wednesday.

Burnham, seen as a challenger to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would need to win the Makerfield seat near Manchester ⁠before ​launching any ⁠formal leadership challenge. He faces stiff opposition from the populist ⁠Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage.

Starmer's Labour Party performed ​poorly in May local elections, triggering calls from a ⁠significant bloc of his lawmakers for him to quit. Many of ⁠those ​are looking to Burnham, currently Mayor of Greater Manchester and an advocate of a more ⁠left-wing approach, to revive the party's fortunes.

Another possible candidate is ⁠former ⁠health minister Wes Streeting, who quit saying he had lost confidence in the prime minister.