Angela Rayner to back calls for Burnham to be allowed to stand in by-election
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner does not want Andy Burnham to be prevented from taking part in the Gorton and Denton by-elections, the BBC has learned.
As first reported in The Times, Rayner is expected to make his announcement publicly at Labor’s north-west regional conference on Saturday.
If Burnham wins the by-election in Greater Manchester, it would allow her to enter the leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.
The BBC has been told that some of Sir Keir’s supporters on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will try to prevent him from standing.
The mayor of Greater Manchester has until 5pm on Saturday to tell the NEC whether he wants to stand and will find out on Sunday whether he will be allowed to do so.
Under Labor Party rules, elected mayors must obtain permission from the NEC before being nominated as a Labor Parliamentary candidate.
The by-election could take place as early as next month after former Labor Secretary Andrew Gwynne formally resigned from the House of Commons, saying his GP had advised him not to return to work.
Burnham did not say whether she would take the seat, telling reporters on Thursday that she was “focused” on her job as mayor of Manchester and that people should not “jump to conclusions”.
He has since declined interview requests.
The tight timeline puts pressure on Burnham to make a quick decision that could make or break her political career.
Rayner was forced to resign as deputy prime minister and housing minister last year after the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser concluded he had breached ministerial rules.
However, he maintains strong support among backbench MPs and party members, and his support for Burnham could make it difficult for the NEC to block his progress.
Several Labor sources said they expected the committee to object to Burnham’s candidacy on the grounds that it would trigger a Greater Manchester mayoral election, which would run out of party funds and be seen as politically risky.
The NEC could also insist that there should be an all-female shortlist of possible Labor candidates for the by-election, as the majority of the party’s MPs are men.
Opinion among Labor MPs is divided on whether Burnham will return to the House of Commons.
In a social media post appearing to support Burnham, Jo White, MP and leader of the Red Wall group, said: “A stitch in London would be disastrous for Labour.”
But Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Middleton South in Greater Manchester, said Burnham “had every right to be ambitious but this wasn’t the right opportunity”.
“I think this is very high risk. Midterm elections are a nightmare for candidates representing the current government. I don’t think Andy should take that risk.”
Labor won the seat of Gorton and Denton with a majority of 13,000 at the 2024 election. Reform UK came second with 5,000 seats, narrowly beating the Greens’ candidate.
The region has traditionally been seen as a safe place, but Labour’s decline in popularity since the general election means the party is not guaranteed to win.
As the Prime Minister’s popularity has waned, speculation has increased that he may face a leadership challenge after local elections in May, in which Labor is expected to perform poorly.
In addition to Burnham, Rayner and Health Minister Wes Streeting have also been touted as possible opponents.
To talk BBC’s Political Thought, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “I don’t know if Andy really wants to return to Westminster politics.
“He can do it and there is a lot of value in him.
“But I would often like to warn people around who are starting to destabilize the ship and say that we can have a new leader.
“No, we can’t. Because you would have to go to elections immediately.”
