Who are Andy Burnham’s key allies in Westminster?

Andy Burnham has won the contest to become Makerfield’s next MP in the high-stakes by-election which could pave the way for a battle for the future of the Labour Party. The new member of parliament is expected to launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer imminently, indicating a clear ambition over the past year. Mr Burnham is no stranger to the halls of Westminster, sitting as a Labour MP from 2001 to 2017 and holding several ministerial positions, including health minister. He has said he wants to “change Labour”, setting out his vision for Britain alongside his plans for Makerfield on the campaign trail over the past month. Speaking to constituents before the vote, he said he would take the “fight as high as I can possibly take it”. The prime minister said on Wednesday that he was willing to offer Mr Burnham a “big” job in government if he won his election. Allies of the new MP said he would not be interested in taking it, potentially marking the latest sign of his ambition for the top role. Sir Keir has indicated that he is not intending to step down as prime minister, which would trigger a leadership election, and has vowed to fight any challenge that may be brought. This would require at least 81 Labour MPs – 20 per cent of its parliamentary members – to get behind a single challenger to go against him. Here are the MPs understood to be allies of Mr Burnham, and who may lend support to his potential leadership bid: Louise Haigh Former transport secretary Louise Haigh is a leading member of Labour’s Tribune group in parliament, relaunched at the start of the year. This is a collection of MPs who are considered to be on the ‘soft left’ of the party, with an aim to have 100 members join the faction. Affiliation with the group does not necessarily indicate support for Mr Burnham. However, several prominent members have made political interventions this year signalling a dissatisfaction with the direction of the current government. open image in gallery Former transport secretary Louise Haigh is a prominent member of Labour’s Tribune group in parliament (PA) In January, MPs including Ms Haigh, Debbie Abrahams, Beccy Cooper, Vicky Foxcroft, Justin Madders, Sarah Owen and Yuan Yang, wrote for LabourList that while the government had made important progress, “we haven’t clarified who we stand for.” “We must approach the economy differently.