Labour's Andy Burnham has secured victory in the pivotal Makerfield by-election, a major step forward for a potential challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.
The historic win has set the stage for Burnham to bid to replace Starmer as Prime Minister.
Following confirmation of his win, Burnham said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could be the turning point. From here on I will give everything I’ve got to make it so.
“Bringing back something we’ve lost, hope, hope for the future.”
He added: “I say to my own party, this is a final chance to change. This is what people said to me directly, on the hundreds of doorsteps I stood on. We must hear it. We must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance. But it is a chance now from this result tonight to build a new politics based on unity and hope.”
Burnham swept to victory by a majority of almost 10,000 votes, securing a total of 24,927 - more than all the other candidates combined.
Reform UK's Rob Kenyon came second with 15,696, with Restore Britain's Rebecca Shepherd took third with 3,111 votes.
No other candidate broke four figures.