Labour blocks Andy Burnham from Gorton and Denton by-election
Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Sources in the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) told the Press Association there had been a “very clear majority” against allowing Mr Burnham from applying for selection in the seat due to concerns about the cost of fighting a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester.
The decision was made by a 10-strong sub-group of the NEC, chaired by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Sunday morning.
Confirming the decision in a statement, the Labour Party said the NEC had decided to deny Mr Burnham permission to stand in order to avoid “an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester mayor”.
The party said a mayoral by-election “would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources” before local and devolved elections in May.
It added: “Although the party would be confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC could not put Labour’s control of Greater Manchester at any risk.
“Andy Burnham is doing a great job as mayor of Greater Manchester.
“We believe it is in the best interests of the party to avoid an unnecessary mayoral election which would use substantial amounts of taxpayers’ money and resources that are better spent tackling the cost-of-living crisis.”
Despite blocking his candidacy, senior Labour politicians left the door open for Mr Burnham to return to Westminster after his term as mayor ends in 2028.
Steve Reed, the Local Government Secretary, told the BBC: “In due course, I look forward to seeing Andy back in Parliament”.
But he added that, at the moment, it would trigger an “avoidable” by-election and voters “don’t like elections that come mid-term”.
Blocking Mr Burnham is likely to provoke anger from some parts of the Labour Party after several senior figures called for local members to have the final say on whether he should stand.
They included deputy leader Lucy Powell, herself an NEC member, and Cabinet minister Ed Miliband, who had both told a conference in London on Saturday that the decision should be left to members.
A Labour backbencher told the Press Association the decision was “a total shitshow” and “utter nonsense”, predicting the party would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” and called for the NEC to “change course and make the right decision”.
She told PA: “Otherwise I think we’ll all come to regret this.”
Although previous MP Andrew Gwynne won the constituency comfortably in 2024, the collapse in Labour’s polling numbers since then means the party now faces a tough fight with Reform UK and the Green Party to retain the seat.
Other Labour MPs backed the decision, however, urging the party to avoid infighting and move on to winning the by-election.
Phil Brickell, who represents the Greater Manchester constituency of Bolton West, said speculation about Mr Burnham’s candidacy in recent days had “seen the Labour Party quickly turn inward… undermining the PM’s efforts at home and abroad”.
Rugby MP John Slinger said the “quick and clear decision” meant the party could “move on from the damaging, introspection and psychodrama of the last week” and “pull together” behind the eventual candidate.
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Starmer and his control freaks have destroyed the English labour party from within. It proves how far to the right they have gone.Under Starmer, socialism is a dirty word. They are more to the right than Heaths one nation tories. I hope the Greens take them to town in any bi-election. Cost is an excuse
They had to decide whether they’d rather have a ton of bricks fall on them or a sinkhole swallow them up. Neither decision is a win for Starmer. No win is available. He’s boxed himself in
This isn’t democracy.
Yes it is. It’s the very much aligned with definition of a rules based democratic society. If he’s not happy, he can quit the labour party and stand as an independent.
Also, the MEN reported the cost of a new mayoral election is 4.5 million. That’s a lot of police and buses which would need to be cancelled to pay for this
Democracy to many on the left and the right means only getting what they want.
No, it’s not. He should be free to stand for whatever political position he cares to. It’s not democracy if someone is blocked from running. The electorate should decide without any manipulation of the process.
He is free to stand, as an independent.
Blocking Burnham just reinforces the view that Starmer is timid and a coward. Burnham is popular in Manchester and would be one of the strongest figures Labour could field against Reform. Instead, they’ve sidelined him and made the contest harder for themselves. That does not look like discipline or strategy, it looks like fear of internal politics.
Meanwhile, both Zack Polanski and pro-Russia stooge George Galloway have expressed an interest in standing. My money would be on Polanski, which would hand the Greens a huge momentum boost, further splitting the anti-Reform vote. This is self-inflicted damage.
Completely agree with this. He took on the role of leadership of Manchester mayoralty. Deserting such a leadership position 18 months in because a slightly more attractive offer came is treating his voters with contempt. This stinks of ego and selfishness. There’s 400 labour MPs in parliament, if you’re not happy with starmer, find one from within there for your next PM.
This decision has lost Labour the by election. I imagine that it will taken by Reform UK but it will likely by a close 3 way split between Labour, Reform and the Greens.
If Zack Polanski runs in the seat, it’s possible that his name recognition could win the seat for the Greens. The same could be said if George Galloway runs as the seat has a large Muslim population and that’s the demographic he tends to target.
I dare say Zack Polanski, of Stockport grammar school (£15k p.a.), won’t go down quite that well with the people of Gorton
If Reform is going to give them a run for their money then schooling probably isn’t that important to voters given Nigel’s stint at Dulwich College (£30k pa).
Fair point, but I really can’t see that part of Manchester isn’t going to take to public school champagne socialists or champagne nationalists!
My sense speaking to reform voters in my part of Wales is that really aren’t that keen on farage.
86% of Reform MPs are privately educated including one at Eton. What do they think they’re voting for if not more of the elite.
Ifv they aren’t keen on Farage (rhymes with garage), then why vote for him? Are Reform voters terminally stupid?
For me is travesty Gwynne is allowed to retire with a pension with a over lengthy investigation still against him, Labour complicit in that and deserve any defeat they might suffer most likely at hands of Greens.
One by one down a sheep track and through an open gate into the Land of La La Labour…meanwhile the little lady will come up behind and slam the gate shut, what were the odds!…nothing to chance here, every loophole closed for a day…
It is obviously the frightened Downing Street bunker behind this; but Burnham is something of a red herring in the bigger picture. If it’s not him, it will be someone else who will oust Starmer come May. The by election will be lost along with a trouncing in Scotland, Wales and English councils.
They need 80 MPs to get behind on a single challenger. It’d mean the left and the right of the party working together, and risking their own careers, to unseat him.
Yes, but nothing will focus MPs minds like a good hammering at the ballot box in May. That is when they will see their careers disappearing, left, right or centre. There comes a point where one looks for the lifeboat on a sinking ship and it ain’t far away in my opinion.
I think frightened is the wrong word. If you look at the NEC, they are broadly supportive of starmer. But it’s hardly a monolithic yes body for starmer, there has been regular disagreement. I think the real politik of what happens to him when he is elected is probably more important. You’ll have to sack a SoS for no reason but to appease him. There are 400 MPs who have been patiently biding their time and to see someone float in before them would be bad for morale, to say the least. But some people seem to think he’ll make… Read more »
Maybe there is a better word to describe it; but this isn’t just about the now blocked Burnham (who I agree is no Messiah). The bunker has been in a spin about Streeting for months and the same is probably true about Rayner, Mahmood and anyone else who looks remotely credible as an alternative.
Streeting isn’t credible. Unless they parachute him into a safe constituency he’s gone in the next GE
The cowardice of far right Labour knows no bounds. They could easily afford to fight the Manchester mayoral election in the by-election, with all the funding they get form Israel following UK’s participation in the genocide.
They are just too scared to. Any Burnham might have saved the Labour party..
Now they are screwed.
Vote Plaid in the Senedd. Vote Green in the GE
The broad church party system is over. The left-left should join Zack’s movement immediately.
They won’t of course because that means doing the hard work of convincing the electorate to vote for them instead of taking contol of a party already in power and installing a leadership no-one voted for.