Fifty Labour MPs Sign Letter Objecting to Burnham Decision
Around 50 Labour MPs have reportedly signed a letter criticising the party’s decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in an upcoming parliamentary by-election.
According to the BBC, the MPs wrote to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warning that the move risks handing a political advantage to Reform UK. They argue that polling suggests Burnham could be Labour’s strongest possible candidate in the vacant Gorton and Denton seat.
The signatories said there was “no legitimate reason” to prevent Burnham from running and urged Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to reconsider its decision.
Sir Keir has defended the move, arguing that allowing Burnham to contest the by-election would divert resources from elections Labour is obliged to fight. “Resources, whether money or people, need to be focused on the elections that we must have, not elections that we don’t have to have,” he said on Monday.
The identities of the MPs who signed the letter are not expected to be made public, though party leaders have been informed. The letter was also signed by around half a dozen Labour peers, the BBC understands.
The NEC, which includes Sir Keir, said blocking Burnham would avoid triggering a costly mayoral election to replace him if he were successful. The last Greater Manchester mayoral election cost taxpayers approximately £4.7 million.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said on Tuesday that Labour critics were “entitled to their view,” but confirmed that NEC officers had voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of the decision.
Burnham, who has previously been viewed as a potential future leadership challenger to Sir Keir, would need to return to Parliament in order to mount any challenge. The NEC voted on Sunday morning to deny him permission to stand, with sources saying eight of its ten voting members supported the block. Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell backed Burnham’s bid, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood abstained.
Burnham declined to comment directly on the decision, telling the BBC he was refocusing on his role as mayor. “I’ve said what I needed to say and here I am back in my job,” he said.
Earlier, he said he was “disappointed” by the decision and criticised the way it had been communicated publicly.
Labour won Gorton and Denton in the 2024 general election with a majority of around 13,000, but Reform UK and the Greens are both expected to mount stronger challenges in the by-election, likely to be held on 26 February.
Former Labour cabinet minister Harriet Harman has urged colleagues to move on from the dispute and focus on winning the seat.
Burnham was elected mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2024 and his term runs until May 2028.