Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has confirmed his intention to seek the Labour party’s nomination to stand as a candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. This move has sparked a growing civil war within the party, with Burnham’s potential return to parliament seen as a direct challenge to the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer.
In a letter to the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC), Burnham stated that he was standing to mount the “strongest possible defence” of the party’s values, warning of a “direct threat” from a brand of politics that seeks to “pit people against each other.” While he acknowledged the government’s work on issues such as rail renationalisation and the housing crisis, Burnham expressed a desire to help the government “go further and faster.”
However, Burnham’s decision has been met with criticism from some Labour MPs, who have accused him of a “show of ego” and suggested he is “on manoeuvre” for a leadership bid. Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid warned that Burnham’s candidacy would be an “energy-sapping distraction” and questioned whether he was seeking a “quieter life” or was “on manoeuvre.”
The tensions within the party have escalated, with Labour MPs warning that blocking Burnham’s candidacy could lead to a leadership challenge against Starmer. One MP told The Independent that if Starmer and his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, “push ahead with a stitch-up which blocks the mayor of Greater Manchester from being the candidate… it will damage the party hugely in the North and across the country and will cause a huge backlash in the PLP, amongst party members and trade unions and voters, including in Gorton and Denton.”
The Mainstream Labour group has also launched a petition against “a stitch-up from the top,” arguing that Labour can win the by-election if they “lead with our values and allow a fair, democratic and open selection for our candidate.”
The decision on Burnham’s candidacy now rests with the NEC, whose membership includes many Starmer loyalists. The outcome of this decision could have significant implications for the party’s unity and Starmer’s leadership in the run-up to the May elections.