Andy Burnham decision ‘done and dusted’, insists minister amid Labour anger

The decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in a parliamentary by-election is “done” and “dusted”, a Cabinet minister insisted after around 50 Labour MPs signed a letter objecting to the move.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed rejected suggestions that denying the Greater Manchester Mayor a run in the upcoming Gorton and Denton contest stemmed from fears of a challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.

The Prime Minister is facing a Labour backlash over the decision, with dozens of MPs and several peers understood to have signed a letter saying there is “no legitimate reason” for preventing Mr Burnham’s bid.

The letter, a copy of which has been seen by the Press Association, also warns that denying local members a choice reinforces the idea that politics is a “remote stitch-up” by a “small group of people at the very top in London”.

Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday, Mr Reed said MPs who had signed the letter are “entitled to their view”, but that it is “reasonable” for people in Manchester to have the mayor continue in his existing role until the end of his term.

Asked whether the move was linked to anxieties about the prospect of a leadership challenge, he told Times Radio: “No, it’s got absolutely nothing to do with that at all.”

He added: “(Mr Burnham) made a commitment to serve that four-year term, and it’s reasonable that the people of Manchester should have him continuing doing, frankly, the outstanding job that he’s doing until his term comes to an end.

“It’s a decision that’s done and it’s dusted.”

A 10-strong group from Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), including the Prime Minister, voted on Sunday to deny Mr Burnham permission to run in the by-election.

Sir Keir defended the decision on Monday morning, arguing that allowing Mr Burnham to run for a Westminster seat would divert Labour’s resources away from campaigns for the local elections in May.

He insisted the “battle of our times” was between Labour and Reform UK rather than within his own party and appealed to members to unite ahead of “a fight that matters hugely to the future of our country”.

But critics accused the Prime Minister and his allies of blocking Mr Burnham’s candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor as both Labour’s poll ratings and his personal approval flounder.

In their letter, addressed to Sir Keir, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in her role as NEC chairwoman, and Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley, MPs called on the party’s ruling body to “re-evaluate the decision.”

“The decision by the NEC sub-committee to block Andy Burnham in Gorton and Denton has caused a huge amount of anxiety and anger amongst colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party, and amongst our local members around the country,” they said.

“At this moment of serious public cynicism about politics, denying our local members real choice and a chance to exercise their democratic voice only reinforces the idea that politics is a remote stitch-up from a small group of people at the very top in London.”

The names of the signatories are not expected to be made public.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said the public had given him a personal mandate to lead Britain and vowed to complete his full term in office, signalling to potential rivals that he would seek to resist pressure on his leadership.

“I’ve got a five year mandate,” he said when asked in an interview with Bloomberg if he would stand in any leadership contest.

“It’s a considerable mandate. I intend to deliver on that.”

At a closed-doors meeting of the PLP on Monday, Attorney General Lord Hermer sought to rally MPs ahead of the forthcoming contest in Manchester, insisting the party would “change this country for the better”.

The senior minister said: “I do not for one minute underestimate the political challenge we face, or how many people do not trust politicians and will not do so until they can at least feel we are making a difference.

“But nor do I underestimate this party, and my passionate belief that as our policies take hold, we will change this country for the better and for the long-term.”

Some of those leaving the meeting were supportive of that message, with one describing the speech as a “tour de force” and claiming the mood was good-humoured, but others remained unconvinced.

One told the Press Association: “Defeat in Gorton and Denton in February means it’s all over for Keir after May’s elections if they go as expected.

“Either No 10 are just clueless at political management – or those around Keir are manoeuvring to get him out of the way and (Wes) Streeting in as soon as possible.”

Mr Burnham has said he was “disappointed” by the decision and “concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us”.

In a statement on social media, he insisted he would “return with full focus” to his mayoral job and he urged unity in the face of “the divisive politics of Reform”.

Elsewhere, Nigel Farage announced Reform UK will reveal its candidate for the by-election on Tuesday and said its chances were “considerably better” than before Mr Burnham was blocked from standing.

Labour launched an early attack on the rival party’s campaign on Tuesday, accusing chairman Lee Anderson of appearing in the “wrong constituency” in a series of social media posts.

In pictures posted on Facebook on Saturday, Mr Anderson joined activists near a building believed to be the Stanley House Function Rooms, a Greater Manchester venue outside the boundaries of Gorton and Denton.

Labour chairwoman Anna Turley said the party was “proving from day one they won’t stand up for local residents in Gorton and Denton – they can’t even find the constituency on a map”.