By-elections that shook up politics – could Andy Burnham be next?

By-election counts are the FA Cup ties of British politics.

Some spell existent to form, but galore are tense, nail-biting, spell heavy into other clip and supply upsets and shocks by governmental elephantine killers.

Publisher and broadcaster Iain Dale has published a weighty book, British By-elections: The 88 By-election Campaigns That Shaped Our Politics.

Could Labour's King of the North, shot fanatic Andy Burnham, who's tipped to travel disconnected the seat and contention Gorton and Denton successful a by-election, beryllium next?

Burnham fuelled speculation astir a Commons comeback erstwhile helium said successful an interrogation connected Thursday helium had "never ruled retired going backmost to Westminster".

With chapters written by politicians, academics and journalists successful his book, Dale claims his 88 are the astir consequential by-elections of the modern era.

Now I can't assertion to person covered 88 by-election counts for Sky News. After all, the archetypal was successful 1769 and 70 of the 88 successful the publication were earlier the 21st century.

But I person covered 44, if I'm not mistaken, starting successful 2003, and I'm grateful for a fewer mentions successful the book, immoderate flattering, immoderate little so. But determination you go.

"There's seldom a dull by-election," Dale writes successful his preface. "Some by-elections instrumentality connected iconic presumption and are remembered respective decades aft they instrumentality place.

"Others rapidly vanish into the depths of our memories, seldom to beryllium thought astir ever again."

The archetypal by-election I covered for Sky News, successful September 2003, was Brent East, which saw a daze triumph for the Liberal Democrats implicit Labour.

The astir caller was Runcorn and Helsby, successful May this year, erstwhile Reform UK's Sarah Pochin was conscionable six votes ahead of Labour aft an all-nighter and a effect astatine 6am.

When there's a recount, I've joked astir VAR holding up the result. I adjacent covered 1 by-election count, Stretford and Urmston, astatine the Old Trafford shot ground.

Over 22 years of covering by-election counts I anticipation I've learned the tricks of the commercialized erstwhile the effect is connected a knife-edge: One, look intimately astatine the piles of ballot papers; two, spot which campaigner has a triumph code successful their manus oregon pocket.

But astir important, three, find retired what's said successful the huddle erstwhile the returning serviceman calls the candidates and their agents unneurotic to little them connected the effect up of the declaration.

It whitethorn person been my archetypal TV number aft much than 20 years successful newspapers, but acquisition 3 served maine good astatine Brent East, arsenic my erstwhile Sky News workfellow Joe Pike reveals successful his section connected Sarah Teather's triumph.

"Jon Craig, Sky News' caller signing, who would spell connected to broadcast from much than 40 by-election counts, announced Labour's nonaccomplishment adjacent earlier the returning serviceman had stood up," Pike writes.

"(Robert) Evans (Labour's candidate) tipped him disconnected that Labour had mislaid by 1,000 votes and Craig passed connected the revelation connected unrecorded TV."

Thanks, Joe. I'd kept quiescent astir however I discovered the effect until now.

A glaring omission from the book, successful my opinion, is George Galloway's upset successful Bradford West successful 2012.

When Sky News arrived astatine the count, everyone successful the hallway was predicting a Labour win. But gradually the temper changed. I texted George: "Labour getting jitters here, George! Say you're doing precise well. What bash you think?"

"Think I'm going to win, Jon," helium replied instantly.

"Labour and Tory MPs deliberation truthful too," I told him. "Keen to get you connected TV." I called him and urged him to travel to the number and assertion victory.

And 'Gorgeous George', ne'er 1 to beryllium shy oregon crook down publicity, duly obliged. He'd turned a Labour bulk of astir 6,000 into a triumph for his Respect Party by much than 10,000 votes, a plaything of much than 50%.

Richmond Park, successful 2016, and Copeland, 2017, are successful the book. My representation of Richmond Park is chasing a precise aggravated Zac Goldsmith, the Tory Heathrow enlargement rebel, astir the number aft helium mislaid to the Lib Dem Sarah Olney.

Hartlepool, successful 2021, was a by-election that truly did instrumentality connected iconic status. It was a uncommon Tory gain, a triumph for Boris Johnson successful the Red Wall and it threw the caller Labour person Sir Keir Starmer into a panic.

He sacked his main whip, Nick Brown, tried to demote his deputy, Angela Rayner. But that backfired, arsenic she acquired adjacent much titles. He's since admitted helium considered quitting.

The effect came astatine 7.10am, by which clip a elephantine inflatable Boris Johnson doll had been erected extracurricular the count. My post-results broadcasts were from successful beforehand of that.

Oh, and connected the Monday, backmost successful Westminster, I tested affirmative for COVID. Red Wall COVID.

The 2nd Batley and Spen by-election, aboriginal successful 2021, saw 'Gorgeous George' effort to repetition his Bradford West triumph. Tracy Brabin had succeeded the murdered Jo Cox successful 2016 but had discontinue to go West Yorkshire mayor.

This clip Kim Leadbeater, Jo's sister and present the assisted dying crusader, was Labour's candidate. Galloway was described by writer Emma Burnell successful the publication arsenic "a serial campaigner implicit the years, with varying levels of success".

This "Red Wall" clash was, though, a classical knife-edge by-election, moving heavy into other time, with Leadbeater squeezing home by 323 votes up of the Tory campaigner Ryan Stephenson. Cue VAR gags during the delays.

"On predetermination night, neither Labour nor the Conservatives were assured of victory," writes Burnell, exertion of LabourList. "Mobile phones were banned from the number and truthful astir of the quality the candidates were receiving was done tv coverage.

"At 1 point, Sky's Jon Craig declared that the Tories had won and it was conscionable a lawsuit of by however much. However, Stephenson delights successful telling the communicative of his entering the number aboriginal (now alert of however the nighttime had gone) to overhear Craig announcing to the nation: 'The loser, Mr Stephenson, has present arrived.'

"Leadbeater, meanwhile, had not prepared her triumph speech, convinced arsenic she was that she had lost." My recollection, however, is antithetic and I'm definite she did person a speech. (Lesson two)

At Mid-Bedfordshire successful 2023 aft Nadine Dorries' resignation, LBC radio's Henry Riley recalls a tense count and writes: "The lone little infinitesimal of levity was erstwhile seasoned by-election reporter-in-chief Jon Craig of Sky News was presented with a barroom by the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Russell Beard, to observe his 40th by-election."

From caller signing to seasoned successful conscionable 20 years. It's a cruel world.

In Rochdale past year, George Galloway was back. And this clip helium won by astir 6,000 votes and became the archetypal MP elected to correspond a 4th antithetic Westminster constituency since Winston Churchill, Sunder Katwala tells america successful the book.

George and I are aged comrades, going backmost to his days arsenic a left-wing firebrand successful the Labour Party. I was a interaction embarrassed astatine Rochdale, however, erstwhile helium said during our post-result interview: "You bought maine lunch!"

Runcorn and Helsby was truthful adjacent - six votes - that the number dragged connected until 6am aft a monolithic recount. "As the nighttime turned to morning, Labour unit looked much and much nervous," writes ITV's Harry Horton successful the book.

"Reform's squad appeared nervous. At 1 point, a Reform adjutant instructed photographers to assemble astatine the doorway for the accomplishment of Nigel Farage.

"One broadcaster claimed he'd seen the Reform leaders circling the car parkland extracurricular but had driven disconnected erstwhile it appeared Labour mightiness sneak a win. Farage aboriginal denied thing of the benignant had ever happened."

Well, arsenic the "one broadcaster" referred to by Harry, determination was so a car circling the car park. But, admittedly, it was dark! We each marque mistakes.

There person been a fewer blunders. At 1 count, not agelong aft she became an MP, I mistook Angela Rayner for Jess Phillips. Fortunately, she told maine she was flattered. Whatever happened to her?

So wherever adjacent connected the by-election fixture list? Will Andy Burnham contention Gwyne's spot anterior to challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour captaincy?

With Reform UK the challengers successful Gorton and Denton, that's a by-election that could beryllium 1 for VAR.