Andy Burnham latest: Labour rebels accuse Starmer of ‘stitch-up’ after mayor’s Westminster return blocked

political editor of The Independent David Maddox reports:

Rather than the outcome of rejecting Andy Burnham’s bid to return to parliament, as is often the case, the process has made things much worse for the embattled Keir Starmer.

Mr Burnham’s posts about X regarding the decision began with a conciliatory tone, suggesting he would return to his day job as Manchester’s metro mayor. But then the third showed a remarkable tendency towards resentment.

“PS: The fact that the media was briefed on the NEC decision before I did tells you everything you need to know about how Labor is run these days,” he said, adding: “You would think 30-plus years of service would count for something but sadly it doesn’t.”

There is talk among Labor Party MPs of pouring gasoline on the burning fire.

Labor sources “categorically denied” being told after the media briefing, but Sky News’ Beth Rigby reported that a senior journalist was able to report the decision on

All of this feeds into a poorly managed decision-making process that is already subject to serious criticism because it is made by a small select group of people.

The problem is that, because Sir Keir Starmer has chosen to take part in person, he is far more personally invested in the course of events than he would have been if he had remained at arm’s length.

Political correspondent for The Independent Millie Cooke reports:

Labor MP Kim Johnson said Sir Keir Starmer “needs to consider his own position” after his decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection, claiming it showed the Prime Minister was not putting country before party.

He told Times Radio: “I’m really disappointed with the decision taken today by a handful of NEC members to prevent Andy Burnham from taking the seat in Manchester.

“It’s really disappointing. Starmer talked about putting country first before the party. That’s simply not the case. It’s really disappointing that Andy found out after the media had been invited.”

“This increases the level of factionalism that has been inherent in the party for too long and this needs to end. And Keir Starmer now needs to evaluate his own position as leader of this party.”

Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) voted on Saturday to prevent Andy Burnham from becoming MP in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection.

The move was immediately criticized by a number of Labor MPs who said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” and “weak”.

Karl Turner, the Labor MP for Kingston upon Hull East, told Times Radio: “There will be a lot of bloodshed in the Parliamentary Labor Party as a result of this decision.”

But others said voters had elected Mr Burnham as mayor for a four-year term in 2024 and that they “didn’t like” by-elections.

Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “That’s why we’re not going to go back and ask the people of Greater Manchester, who have over two million eligible voters, to elect someone else to finish the next two (years) because we can choose a different candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-elections and we will defend the Labor government.”

Political correspondent for The Independent Millie Cooke reports:

A Cabinet minister has admitted the NEC decision may have been leaked to the media before Andy Burnham was briefed.

This followed Burnham’s claim that “the media knew about the NEC decision before I did”, which she claimed “tells you everything you need to know about how the Labor Party is run these days”.

He added: “You would think 30+ years of service would mean something but unfortunately it doesn’t.”

On Sunday, Labor Party sources responded by saying his claims were “categorically false” and said they had tried to call and email him.

But when asked about it on Monday, Cabinet minister Douglas Alexander told Sky News: “My understanding, and only my understanding, is that the general secretary tried to call Andy immediately after the meeting, but… it wouldn’t be the first time that a secret meeting in the Labor Party, which was supposed to be about internal matters and there were a lot of people in the room, would leak out. So if that happened, that’s wrong.”

“I was hoping Andy would have the decency to listen first and directly. But as I say, having attended numerous Labor Party meetings where information was leaked out, perhaps that’s what happened.”

The drop comes after sources close to Mr Burnham said: Guard He posted the NEC’s decision on social media at 11.56am, but was not contacted by the party until 12.12pm, followed by an email at 12.20pm.

Allowing Andy Burnham to stand in the Gorton and Denton byelection would not be a “risk-free election”, a Cabinet minister has argued.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told Times Radio that if the NEC had allowed Mr Burnham to run, Labor could have lost “the equivalent of 20 by-elections diverting time, energy and money into the Manchester mayoral race”.

He said: “We would certainly fight very hard in this race, but there would also be a degree of risk – Reformation is currently beating us by 10 to one and you can’t take anything for granted in the biggest and most unnecessary election contest in the UK.

“This doesn’t seem like a risk-free choice to me.”

The decision to block Andy Burnham’s quest for a return to Westminster is about “focus rather than factionalism” as Labor seeks to avoid being distracted by the upcoming mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester, a Cabinet minister has said.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander acknowledged his role in the decision to thwart Sir Keir Starmer’s potential leadership rival, telling Times Radio: “This was a decision that the Prime Minister was involved in, of course, but it was actually a decision taken by a sub-committee of Labour’s national executive committee (NEC).”

He said: “The decision was about focus rather than factionalism.”

Mr Alexander continued: “Whatever choice the national executive committee made yesterday, there was likely to be criticism and comments in the newspapers today. Let’s just say there were ditches on both sides of the road.”

Had the NEC allowed Mr Burnham to run, there would have been “the equivalent of 20 by-elections diverting time, energy and money towards the Manchester mayoral contest” which Labor could have lost.

“We would certainly fight hard in this race but there would also be a degree of risk – Reformation is currently beating us by 10 to one and you can’t take anything for granted in the biggest and most unnecessary election contest in Britain.

“This doesn’t seem like a risk-free choice to me.”

Labor MPs are said to be in open rebellion against Sir Keir Starmer and his allies following what they believe is a “series” of preventing Andy Burnham from returning to Westminster.

Backbenchers are said to have described the move as “utterly outrageous” and “incredibly disappointing”, while The Telegraph reported that Angela Rayner was among those who disagreed with the decision.

A letter is being circulated among MPs claiming the decision amounts to “a remote stand-in of a small group of people at the top of London”.

He reportedly warns that losing the by-election would be “unimaginable… obstruction” [Mr Burnham] Even presenting its case to local members risks sending the message that the party does not respect devolution.”

They are calling on the National Executive Committee to reconsider its decisions, with one Starmer ally saying: “No. It’s over.”

Andy Burnham has issued a clear response to Sir Keir Starmer’s biographer, who wrote on social media that the idea of ​​him returning to Westminster would add to recent “psychodrama” and would not be in Labour’s interests.

Tom Baldwin wrote: “Always liked @AndyBurnhamGM but the prospect of him returning to Westminster has already added to the inward-looking psychodrama that helps no one. And an unnecessary by-election for the Mayor of Manchester would also damage his reputation in the long term.”

In response, the mayor of Greater Manchester said: “I’m not sure losing the by-election will do us any good either, Tom.”