Veteran UK Labour politician Andy Burnham won a historic by-election on Friday, securing a parliamentary seat and clearing the way for a widely expected leadership challenge against beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The 56-year-old longtime figure in centre-left Labour has indicated he will challenge Starmer for the party's leadership, and to be prime minister, and needed to win the high-stakes vote to be in a position to trigger such a contest. pdh-jj/mjw