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Kate Whannel
Andy Burnham has announced that he is seeking permission to stand in the upcoming Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election.
If he won and became an MP, Burnham could mount a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer but the BBC has been told that allies of the prime minister may try and block him from standing in the constituency.
Burnham is currently mayor of Greater Manchester and in a statement insisted that he wants to back the Labour government “not undermine it”, adding that the decision had been “difficult”.
The seat in Greater Manchester is vacant after Andrew Gwynne stood down on Friday as an MP on health grounds.
As a directly-elected mayor, Burnham has to get approval from Labour’s ruling national executive committee before he can enter the race to be the party’s candidate. That decision is expected on Sunday.
Several Labour MPs have reacted angrily to the suggestion that Burnham could be blocked from standing in the by-election.
Burnham had until Saturday afternoon to submit his application and on the dot of the 5pm deadline, he shared his letter to the NEC on social media, ending days of speculation over what he was planning.
In his letter, Burnham said there was a “direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other”.
“I see this by-election as the frontline of that fight for the Manchester Way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved.”
He said he had left Westminster nearly a decade ago because he believed “it wasn’t working for people in our part of the world” and that as mayor he had “tried to pioneer a different way of doing things”.
However, he added that he believed Manchester “won’t be able to be everything it should be without similar changes at a national level.
“This is why I feel the need to go back.”
There has been speculation that the prime minister could face a leadership challenge, after the May elections, which will see votes take place in the Welsh Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and in some local councils in England.
Burnham has been touted as a possible leadership contender but can only mount a challenge if he is an MP in the Commons.
In his letter to the NEC, Burnham insisted he would be in Parliament “to support the work of the government, not undermine it”.
“I have passed this assurance on to the prime minister.”
Some senior Labour figures in the party have said they believe Burnham should be allowed to enter the contest.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: “If Andy Burnham wants to be a member of Parliament, Andy Burnham should be allowed to be a member of Parliament”.
Indicating her support for Burnham, deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell said the by-election would be “difficult” and that she wanted “to make sure we are putting the best team out on the pitch week after week”.
“I don’t want to see [Erling] Haaland on the bench” in a reference to the Manchester City football player.
She also said Labour members should “get behind Keir Starmer” adding that she did not want to see the by-election develop into “in-fighting and talking about ourselves”.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said Burnham would be “a massive asset” in Parliament and that he hoped Gorton and Denton party members would have “the option” of selecting him as a candidate.
Burnham’s fate now lies in the hands of the officers on the NEC which include Starmer and Powell alongside Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, party chair Ellie Reeves and trade union representatives.
A decision to turn down his application risks infuriating those MPs in Parliament who support the Greater Manchester mayor.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said blocking Burnham would have “serious lasting consequences” adding: “When you’re 2-0 down at half time, you bring on the super sub to help the team win.”
East Hull MP Karl Turner said it would “cause the most raving row”.
If he were to be selected and won the Gorton and Denton seat, Burnham would have to resign as Greater Manchester mayor, triggering a new election for that role.
Several Labour sources have said the NEC could block Burnham’s application on the grounds that a mayoral election would be expensive for the party.
It would also be costly for the taxpayer with the last mayoral election costing around £4.7m.
The area of Gorton and Denton has traditionally voted Labour and the party won the seat in 2024 with a majority of 13,000.
However, since then the party’s popularity has declined and Labour could face challenges from Reform UK and the Green Party who came second and third at the general election.
Shortly after, Burnham made his intentions clear, Reform’s Lee Anderson posted a picture of himself campaigning in Gorton and Denton with the message “bring it on”.
