Sir Keir Starmer’s allies have blocked Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, according to Labour sources.Eight of the Labour National Executive Committee’s (NEC) ten members – including the Prime Minister himself – voted against the Mayor of Greater Manchester standing in the seat, vacated by Andrew Gwynne.Just one was in favour, while the chair, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, abstained.In a statement, Labour said: “The NEC believes that causing an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester Mayor would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources ahead of the local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
“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.”We look forward to fighting and winning the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton and the positive campaign ahead which will be firmly focussed on tackling the cost of living and bringing investment to the local area.The decision is expected to kick off a fiery row with allies of the popular Mr Burnham.Mr Burnham had confirmed on Saturday he intended to run to be an MP run to be an MP in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.The decision to block him from standing is likely to spark huge backlash from within Labour.Mr Burnham is a popular figure within the party. Cabinet minister Ed Miliband welcomed his candidacy, saying he had done “an outstanding job” as mayor and would be “a massive asset” in Parliament.”My view about this is Keir needs the best possible team serving under him in Parliament,” the Energy and Net Zero Minister added.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSDonald Trump has legal power to BLOCK Chagos surrender deal, Labour admitsCamilla Tominey accuses Labour of ‘psychodrama’ as Andy Burnham eyes up Westminster returnKemi Badenoch begins purge of Tory members suspected of ‘links with Reform’ after defection waveMr Gwynne won the seat with 51 per cent of the vote in 2024, but now Labour face a tough fight to keep it given their collapse in the polls and now the blocking of Mr Burnham.Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who was born in Salford, is said to be considering standing in the seat.Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf and George Galloway could also stand.In a letter to the NEC on Saturday, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who would have been forced to leave his current role should he had stood and won the seat, confirmed his intentions to stand at the Gorton and Denton by-election.He said there now is a “direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other.”It brings with it a poison we should not let enter our city-region,” he added. “I see this by-election as the frontline of that fight for the Manchester Way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved.”He continued that Manchester needs changes on a “national level”, explaining this is why he “needs to go back” to Westminster.Mr Burnham, long considered one of Sir Keir’s biggest leadership challengers, said he would “support the work of the Government, not undermine it, and I have passed on this assurance to the Prime Minister.”MORE TO FOLLOW…Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter GB News Read More