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Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) has decided to block Andy Burnham from standing as a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary by-election for Gorton and Denton. As the directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham was required to seek the NEC’s approval before entering the race, having submitted his application on Saturday. However, the party ruled against his candidacy, citing concerns about avoiding an unnecessary mayoral election that would incur significant public costs and divert resources needed to address the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The vacant seat in Greater Manchester emerged after former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne stepped down due to health reasons. The decision to prevent Burnham from running has provoked frustration among Labour MPs, with some ministers arguing local party members should have had the chance to select him as their candidate. This move represents a considerable political risk for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s allies, who worry it could deepen internal party tensions amid Labour’s struggle with declining national opinion polls and rising support for Reform UK. A senior Labour figure sympathetic to Burnham criticized the decision, stating, “They’re gambling the PM’s whole premiership on winning a very hard by-election without their best candidate. It is madness.”
At a Sunday morning NEC meeting, which included votes from ten members such as the Prime Minister himself, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and party chair Ellie Reeves, a majority (eight to one) favored barring Burnham. The Prime Minister voted to block the candidacy, while Mahmood abstained in her chair role and deputy leader Lucy Powell supported Burnham’s bid. Concerns discussed ranged from the significant costs involved in holding a mayoral by-election to potential internal party divisions sparked by what some feared would be a divisive campaign.
Labour sources explained that Sir Keir’s supporters acknowledge Burnham’s effective performance as mayor but argue that forcing a mayoral by-election would be financially and politically damaging. Such an election in Greater Manchester last cost approximately £4.7 million, a burden the party feels is unjustifiable during the current economic hardships. They expressed particular worry that Reform UK would heavily outspend Labour during the by-election period. NEC members emphasized the importance of adhering to established party rules that prevent elected mayors and police and crime commissioners from contesting parliamentary by-elections, underscoring a desire to avoid unnecessary internal friction. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed further justified the decision by citing the disruption a mayoral by-election would cause to two million voters, though he expressed optimism about seeing Burnham return to Parliament in the future.
The decision has elicited strong reactions within Labour ranks. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell described himself as “absolutely furious” and accused the Prime Minister of not comprehending the deep resentment among party members. He labeled the move as “factionalism gone wild,” suggesting it could ultimately hasten Sir Keir’s political challenges. Conversely, some MPs supported the NEC’s choice, with John Slinger praising the “quick and clear decision” as a way for the party to move past recent internal turmoil. Burnham, once Labour’s MP for Leigh, has been considered a potential challenger to Sir Keir’s leadership, though any such bid requires that he hold a seat in the House of Commons. In his letter to the NEC, Burnham reaffirmed his intent to support the government rather than undermine it, a message he said he passed on directly to the Prime Minister.
Gorton and Denton has long been a Labour stronghold, with the party securing a solid majority of 13,000 votes in the 2024 general election. However, Labour’s standing has weakened since then, potentially opening the door for opposition parties such as Reform UK and the Green Party, who placed second and third respectively in that election. The upcoming by-election will test Labour’s ability to hold onto this seat amid ongoing political challenges
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