Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.Andy Burnham has launched his bid to be Labour’s candidate in a crunch by-election and return to Westminster as an MP.The Manchester mayor told Labour bosses of his intentions to stand in Gorton and Denton following the resignation on health grounds of sitting MP Andrew Gwynne.In a letter posted on X, Burnham – who quit as an MP in 2017 – said it was time for him to try to return to parliament.As a mayor, he has to seek special permission from Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to be allowed to apply to be a candidate.Burnham said it had been “a difficult decision”, but vowed to run a “hopeful and unifying campaign” if chosen to as Labour’s candidate.I have today written to the Chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee seeking permission to enter the selection process for a candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.Read my letter here.👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/TwKgADsuSB— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) January 24, 2026Burnham’s decision tees up a major battle with Downing Street, where allies of Keir Starmer want the NEC to block his candidacy so he can’t mount a leadership challenge against the prime minister.But that would potentially trigger a civil war in the party, with senior figures including Labour mayor Sadiq Khan demanding that Burnham be allowed to stand.Khan told a Fabian Society conference on Saturday: “I’m a firm believer in the best team having all the talent playing for them.”This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.Related…Starmer Allies Draw Labour Fury Amid Claims They May Block Burnham Running To Be An MPExclusive: Labour Bosses Urged To Block Andy Burnham’s Bid To Be An MP AgainAndy Burnham Says Latest Labour Leadership Stories Are ‘Rubbish’. But MPs Aren’t Convinced HuffPost UK – Athena2 – All Entries (Public) Read More