After months of speculation, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as British prime minister.

The favourite to replace him is new Labour MP Andy Burnham, who had a landmark win in the Makerfield byelection on June 18. Burnham’s win – in which he staved off a threat from far-right party Reform UK – has massive implications for the UK government.

But are there also lessons for the Albanese government in handling One Nation?

Read more: Andy Burnham is known as the ‘king of the north’. Could he become the UK’s next prime minister?

In Australia and the United Kingdom, establishment parties are losing support to populist radical right challengers such as One Nation and Reform. Both challenger parties have seen significant success in recent byelections and sub-national elections.

One Nation had a landmark result in the Farrer byelection, while Reform now has six seats in the House of Commons.

In recent state elections in Australia and local council elections in the UK, One Nation and Reform respectively have gained electoral ground. One Nation gained four lower house seats and three upper house seats in the South Australian election in March. In the UK, Reform gained 1,452 councillors in the May local elections.

Not only did Reform make such significant gains in May, it was Labour’s worst defeat in local elections on record, losing almost 1,500 councillor seats across the country.

This makes the result in Makerfield more remarkable. Here, Burnham (who had been blocked from standing in the February byelection of Gorton and Denton, a seat in Greater Manchester) consolidated Labour’s position.........

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