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Episode details

News,16 May 2026,38 mins

Q+A: Burnham Says He'd Save Labour, But Can He Win Makersfield?

Newscast

Available for over a year

Today we look at two Labour leadership hopefuls setting out their visions for the UK ahead of a Labour leadership contest that hasn’t even begun. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told the BBC he’d 'save' Labour, and Wes Streeting has confirmed that he would run in the event of a formal challenge to Keir Starmer. Before Burnham can run for leader, and therefore PM, he’s got to win the Makersfield by-election first. Laura and Paddy answer Newscasters’ questions on the subject and look at a potential cautionary tale from a by-election in 1965. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn and Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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