Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) has rejected Andy Burnham’s request to stand as a candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection, sparking an immediate and fierce internal party dispute.
In a vote by the NEC’s 10-member officers’ group, only Lucy Powell—the party’s deputy leader and a close ally of Burnham—supported allowing the Greater Manchester mayor to compete for the seat left vacant by Andrew Gwynne. The other eight members, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, voted against the move, while NEC chair and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood abstained.
This decision appears to definitively block Burnham’s short-term ambitions to return to Parliament, where he would be viewed as a major potential rival to succeed Starmer, whose personal poll ratings remain low.
A Labour statement explained that under party rules, sitting mayors or police and crime commissioners must seek permission to stand for Parliament. “The NEC has decided not to grant Andy Burnham permission to stand,” it said. The committee argued that triggering an unnecessary mayoral election in Greater Manchester would place a substantial and disproportionate strain on campaign resources ahead of local elections and votes for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May. While confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC stated it could not risk Labour’s control of Greater Manchester.
The statement added: “Andy Burnham is doing a great job as mayor of Greater Manchester. We believe it is in the best interests of the party to avoid an unnecessary mayoral election, which would use substantial amounts of taxpayers’ money and resources better spent tackling the cost of living crisis.”
Allies of Starmer framed the NEC’s decision as a straightforward application of party rules. However, those who had urged Starmer to allow Burnham to stand called it a disastrous mistake. One source on the party’s soft left said: “No. 10 has chosen factionalism over what’s right for the party. They will have to change course, especially once they realize they will lose the byelection without Andy.”
Burnham did not immediately react. But Mainstream, the left-leaning Labour group associated with Burnham and other senior figures like Powell, said: “Labour must reverse this decision if it is serious about putting country before party. We urge the party to reconsider in the interests of taking on Reform and building the strongest possible team in Westminster.”
Another Labour source described the NEC meeting as “respectful and collegiate,” noting concerns were raised about the cost of holding a mayoral byelection to replace Burnham midway through his term, as well as fears about a divisive campaign by Reform UK.
Despite the decisive vote, the decision is likely to worry several senior Labour figures who had urged Starmer to let Burnham compete, including former deputy leader Angela Rayner, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Speaking at the Labour north west regional conference on Sunday, Rayner called for Burnham to be allowed to seek selection. “I know my friend, the mayor, has put his name forward, and I believe the local members should get the choice, no stitch-ups,” she said shortly before the decision was announced. “If they decide that’s who they want, I know he’d make a fantastic candidate to lead our Labour campaign.”
Supporters of Starmer had argued that…Andy Burnham running for parliament would destabilize the government. “At a time of significant geopolitical tensions and during a cost-of-living crisis, the country would be horrified if the government turned inward,” said an ally of Keir Starmer.
“The chaos and internal drama of the Conservatives led to their removal from office. The public wants us to focus on governing. We don’t have time for endless speculation.”
“Politically, we would be sacrificing the certainty of having a Labour mayor for the next two years,” the ally added. “While we are confident we could win again, Reform would vastly outspend us, turning the race into a bitter and divisive contest. It would mean gambling with communities and people’s lives.
“We all know what this is really about—Andy Burnham’s ambition. If political uncertainty drove up bond rates, it could cost billions. That would be utterly irresponsible.”
Burnham’s very public campaigning has frustrated some members of the government. Responding to the NEC’s decision, one minister remarked, “You reap what you sow, Andy. It’s harvest time.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the dispute surrounding Andy Burnham being barred from running in a byelection
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What actually happened
Andy Burnham the Mayor of Greater Manchester was blocked from standing as a candidate in a recent parliamentary byelection The main reason given was that he did not meet the residency requirement to be a candidate in that specific constituency
2 Who is Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham is a prominent Labour Party politician He is currently the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester a role he has held since 2017 He was previously a Member of Parliament and a government minister
3 What is a byelection
A byelection is a special election held to fill a single vacant seat in Parliament between general elections It happens when an MP resigns dies or is otherwise unable to continue in their role
4 Why was he barred What was the rule
He was barred due to a longstanding electoral rule that requires a candidate to be a resident in the constituency they wish to represent at the time of their nomination Burnham lives in Greater Manchester not in the constituency where the byelection was being held
5 Which byelection was this for
This was for the byelection in Selby and Ainsty which was held in July 2023 after the Conservative MP resigned
Intermediate Advanced Questions
6 Isnt Andy Burnham already an elected mayor Why did he want to be an MP again
Yes he is the Mayor He did not actually want to be the MP He agreed to be the Labour Partys paper candidatea placeholder who stands with no intention of winning simply to allow the party to contest the seat The dispute arose because he was blocked from even being that placeholder
7 Whats the big deal if he was just a paper candidate
The dispute highlights a clash between modern political reality and old rules Critics argue the rule is outdated as highprofile regional leaders like metro mayors have national stature but local residency It also caused embarrassment and logistical problems for the Labour Party which had to scramble to find a new candidate
8 What was Andy Burnhams argument against the decision
Burnham argued that the rule is archaic and fails to recognize the role of modern metro mayors
