Burnham takes fight to Starmer as he launches new bid to become Labour MP for Gorton and Denton
Andy Burnham has confirmed he wants to stand as a Labor candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection, paving the way for a return to parliament and a potential leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said the decision was “difficult” but now was “the time to mount the strongest possible defense” of Labor’s values as he asked permission to leave the party’s powerful governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), whose members include Starmer loyalists.
In a letter sent to the NEC after 5pm for the application, he promised to support the government and “not undermine it” and said he had conveyed this assurance to the prime minister.
But there is a growing civil war within the party over his future, with senior Labor figures lining up to insist his candidacy should not be blocked.
Independent MPs were said to have warned the party it could face a leadership vote if Sir Keir moved to prevent Mr Burnham from standing; Supporters said it would be “ugly” and show “disgusting factionalism” was more important than defeating Nigel Farage’s Reform in the seat.
Long seen as a potential rival to the prime minister, Mr Burnham’s return to the Commons will add to the growing pressure on the beleaguered prime minister as Labor trails Reform in the polls.
In his letter, Mr Burnham said he stood up “after careful consideration of what is in the best interests of our party and the city area I represent”.
Without name-checking Reform, which came second at the last election, he said there was now “a direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about by a brand of policy aimed at turning people against each other”.
He added: “I see this by-election as the front line in the fight for Manchester and, despite the risks involved, I feel I owe it to a city that has given me so much to lead from the front.”
He applauded the government for its work on issues such as rail renationalisation and the housing crisis, but said he wanted to help it “go further and faster”.
In September, Mr Burnham lashed out at those demanding Sir Keir make “simple declarations of loyalty”, warning they were underestimating the “danger” facing Labor in council elections for Scotland, Wales and England in May.
The Prime Minister got into a row after comparing herself to former Prime Minister Liz Truss and suggesting her economic plans would be disastrous for the country.
This week the dogged Mr Burnham doubled down on his economic stance, touting “business-friendly socialism” while repeating his claim that Britain is “too reliant on bond markets”.
Mr Burnham is seen as one of Labour’s most effective communicators and is popular with the public. But last Thursday, news that he had the potential to enter parliament shook the markets and pointed to a possible obstacle to his leadership ambitions.
Before confirming she wanted to run, Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell, an ally of Mr Burnham, told the Fabian Society conference on Saturday that the question of whether the Greater Manchester mayor should run in Gorton and Denton “should be up to Andy and local members”.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan also told the conference that Mr Burnham should be allowed to stand and said he would campaign on his behalf. “I definitely believe in the best team with all the talent playing for them,” he said.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting was less blunt when asked whether Mr Burnham should stand, saying: “This is a matter for the party, not the cabinet, and I was told clearly that was my answer.”
As a Labor mayor, Mr Burnham had to apply to the NEC for permission to stand in the by-election. It is unclear when he will make his decision, but immediately after the announcement Labor MPs pressured the party’s NEC not to block it.
Connor Naismith, the Labor MP for Crewe and Nantwich, tweeted: “There is no legitimate reason why a candidate of Andy’s caliber should be denied the party membership.”
A Labor MP said: Independent: “If Keir Starmer and (his private secretary) Morgan McSweeney continue to pull a stitch that prevents the Mayor of Greater Manchester from standing… it will cause huge damage to the Party in the North and across the country and cause a huge backlash in the PLP, among Party members including Gorton and Denton, unions and voters.
“If Keir Starmer tries to stitch up Burnham and succeeds, it will decide Keir Starmer’s fate. If Keir Starmer tries but fails, the outcome will be the same. Starmer should step back from this madness and instruct those around him to do the same.”
Labor MP Chris Webb publicly warned that blocking Mr Burnham would have “serious lasting consequences”, adding: “When you’re 2-0 down at half-time, you turn on the super sub to help the team win.”
Labor MP Richard Burgon also wrote of X: “Fixing the election to keep him off the ballot paper would be an affront to party democracy – and a sign of disgusting factionalism, a higher priority than reversing the rise of Farage and Reform.”
But there is anger towards Mr Burnham even among some Labor MPs who have been highly critical of Sir Keir.
someone said Independent: “He likes to be the center of attention. It’s cowardly and the worst kind of politics… He could undoubtedly be elected in 2024, but he chose not to.”
Another said Mr Burnham’s decision to throw his hat in the ring was the worst outcome for the party. “Because now even coughing by anyone in the process becomes distracting and dramatic,” they said.
Mr Burnham, who was an MP until 2017, left to become mayor of Manchester. However, the way for a return to the House of Commons was opened when Labor MP Andrew Gwynne, who was sacked earlier this week, officially withdrew from his seat, citing his health condition.
