Starmer facing growing Labour rebellion as ‘fifty MPs sign letter’ objecting to Andy Burnham decision
Sir Keir Starmer is fighting a growing outcry over his decision to block Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from taking part in by-elections in the city; Nearly 50 Labor MPs signed a letter objecting to the decision.
They are understood to have written to the Prime Minister and the chairman of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to warn that the decision was a “real gift” to Reform England; polls suggest Mr Burnham may be Labour’s “best chance of winning” the vacant seat of Gorton and Denton.
Signatories of the letter said there was “no legitimate reason” to block Mr Burnham and demanded that Labour’s NEC “reconsider” the decision.
It came after a group of 10 members of the ruling body, including Sir Keir, voted to refuse Mr Burnham permission to stand in the Greater Manchester by-election at a meeting on Sunday.
Critics have accused Sir Keir and his allies of blocking Mr Burnham’s candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor as both Labour’s poll ratings and personal approval ratings falter.
But the prime minister insisted an extra election for Manchester mayor would “divert our resources” from local elections, which are already expected to be hugely damaging for Labour.
In the face of growing demands for a reconsideration, Housing Minister Steve Reed said on Tuesday the decision was “done and dusted” and the party would “fight to win” the by-election.
Speaking to Times Radio, he also insisted the decision to block Mr Burnham had “absolutely nothing to do” with avoiding a leadership bid against Sir Keir.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with this,” he said. “Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly for Andy to remain as mayor of Manchester because he was elected to a four-year term just two years ago.”
It comes after Reform leader Nigel Farage admitted the Manchester mayor thought not standing in the by-election improved his party’s chances of winning the seat and “it would be very difficult for us to beat him”.
The Gorton and Denton by-election is expected to be held on February 26 after former MP Andrew Gwynne resigned for health reasons.
Reform UK will announce its running mate at a press conference in the constituency on Tuesday, a day after Mr Farage claimed his party’s chances were “significantly better” than before as a result of Labour’s decision.
Labor Party’s political rival on the left, the Green Party, is also evaluating its chances in the race.
While Sir Keir Starmer is set to embark on a trip to China to distract himself from the domestic political arena for a few days, the Gorton and Denton by-election debates are taking place.
On Monday the prime minister was among senior Labor figures trying to focus MPs’ minds on the by-election after facing criticism for blocking Mr Burnham’s application to enter the race.
Former cabinet minister and supporter Louise Haigh said at the weekend that Labor should reverse the ruling body’s decision “otherwise I think we’ll all regret it”, while MP Simon Opher described the decision as “an own goal” for Sir Keir’s advisers.
Meanwhile, left-wing hardliner Kim Johnson said the prime minister “needs to consider his own position” after the decision to block Mr Burnham’s standing, claiming it showed Sir Keir was not putting country before party.
But defending the decision, Sir Keir insisted the “battle of our time” was between Labor and Reform England.
At a meeting of Labor backbench MPs on Monday night, where many asked questions about the impact of the decision to block Mr Burnham, Attorney General Lord Hermer, a close ally of the Prime Minister, urged MPs not to focus on the party’s domestic politics.
Meanwhile, Labor Party leader Anna Turley was said to have talked about the need to go into the election with a “positive message”.
But senior figures within the party have reportedly admitted in private conversations that they expected to lose the by-election after Mr Burnham’s candidacy was blocked.
It comes after sources told The Times some fear Labor could be pushed into third place behind Reform and the Greens after Sir Keir decided losing the seat was a price worth paying to retain the Greater Manchester mayoralty.
Allies of Mr Burnham, who said he was disappointed by the move in a statement published on Sunday, meanwhile told the Guardian that he had not completely ruled out a return to Westminster in the future.
The paper also said Sir Keir has offered support to the Manchester mayor to run for another north-west seat as he nears the end of his mayoralty in 2027, when Labor could establish a strong replacement.
