Labour row erupts after Andy Burnham blocked from byelection race | Andy Burnham
Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) blocked Andy Burnham’s bid to stand for the Gorton and Denton by-election, sparking an immediate and fierce debate within the party.
In a vote by the NEC’s 10-strong “caucus”, only one person, party deputy leader and close Burnham ally Lucy Powell, voted to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to run for the seat vacated by Andrew Gwynne last week.
Eight other members voted against the move, with NEC chairperson and home affairs minister Shabana Mahmood abstaining.
The decision is likely to completely halt Burnham’s attempts to return to parliament in the short term; He will be seen as a major rival to replace Keir Starmer in the event of a challenge to the prime minister, whose personal poll results have been disastrous.
Starmer’s allies described the NEC’s decision as upholding party rules that sitting mayors or police and crime commissioners should not be allowed to stand for parliament.
A Labor source said the meeting, described as “respectful and collective”, heard concerns about the cost of holding a by-election for mayor with two years left in Burnham’s term and concerns about Reform UK’s divisive campaign. But others in the party condemned the decision as paranoid and unlikely to support Starmer’s position.
“The 10 chose factionalism over what was in Keir’s interests,” a Labor source said. “What are their plans if we lose the byelection and we lose Wes? [Streeting] Is that why he goes?”
For all the determination of the NEC vote, the decision will cause concern among a number of senior Labor figures, including former deputy leader Angela Rayner, energy secretary Ed Miliband and London mayor Sadiq Khan, who have called on Starmer to allow Burnham to run for the seat.
Speaking to Labour’s north west regional conference on Sunday, Rayner said Burnham should be allowed to stand in the election.
Speaking shortly before the decision was announced, Rayner said: “I know my fellow mayor has put his name forward and I believe local members should have the right to vote, not stitches.” “If they decide that’s who they want, I know he’ll be a great candidate to lead our Labor campaign.”
Starmer’s supporters argued that Burnham’s candidacy for parliament would destabilize the government. “The country would be horrified if the government turned inward in the midst of major geopolitical tensions and a cost-of-living crisis,” said an ally of Starmer.
“The Tories’ chaos and psychodrama have driven them out of office. The country wants us to continue governing. We have no time for endless speculation.”
“Politically, we will have given up on being confident that Labor will be the mayor for the next two years,” Starmer’s ally said. “We would be confident of winning again, but Reformation will overwhelm us and it will become a nasty, divisive contest. It will mean gambling with communities and people’s lives.
“We all know what this is about: Andy Burnham’s ambition. If political uncertainty causes bond yields to rise it could cost billions of dollars. That would be completely irresponsible.”
Burnham’s very public agitation appeared to be unwelcome among some members of the government. Reacting to the NEC’s decision, one minister said: “You reap what you sow, Andy. Now it’s time to harvest.”
