Andy Burnham has been barred from standing as Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton after the party’s ruling body refused to grant him permission. The decision was taken by Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), which must approve any bid by a directly elected mayor to seek a Westminster seat.
Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and a former cabinet minister, applied on Saturday to contest the seat, which became vacant after former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne stepped down on health grounds. Labour said the NEC rejected the request to avoid triggering a separate mayoral election, arguing that such a contest would place a heavy financial and organisational burden on the party and the public purse.
In a statement, the party said an unnecessary mayoral election would divert resources at a time when they were better focused on addressing the cost-of-living crisis and preparing for upcoming elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The NEC also said it could not risk Labour’s control of Greater Manchester, even though it was confident of retaining the mayoralty.
The decision has angered a number of Labour MPs, some of whom believe Burnham would have been the strongest candidate to defend a traditionally safe Labour seat. One senior party source described the move as a major gamble, warning it risked internal division and could weaken the party’s position if the by-election result proved closer than expected.
Burnham is widely viewed as a potential future challenger to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a prospect that has added to the political sensitivity of the decision. The NEC meeting was attended by 10 members, including the prime minister, party chair Ellie Reeves and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Sources said the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of blocking Burnham, with one member supporting his bid and one abstention.
Sir Keir’s allies have defended the move, saying Burnham is performing well as mayor and that forcing a Greater Manchester mayoral election could cost millions of pounds. They have also raised concerns about the prospect of a divisive campaign and the risk of being outspent by rivals such as Reform UK.
Local government secretary Steve Reed said the NEC’s decision spared two million Greater Manchester voters the inconvenience of an additional election. He acknowledged the outcome would be disappointing for Burnham but said it was positive for the region that he would continue in his current role.
Critics within Labour have been less forgiving. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was “absolutely furious” and accused the leadership of factional behaviour. Others warned the move could increase pressure on the leadership if Labour were to lose ground in the by-election.
Burnham has yet to comment publicly. Labour will now proceed with selecting an alternative candidate, with local party members expected to vote on a shortlist next weekend.
