UK Labor Party politician Andy Burnham has been blocked from trying to return to parliament by Labor’s governing body in what will be seen as a political move by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies to keep out a potential leadership rival.
Mr Burnham, one of the party’s most high-profile politicians and an elected mayor in the northern English city of Manchester, said on Saturday he wanted to become Labor’s candidate to replace an MP who resigned last week.
Local news outlets reported that he was refused permission by Labor’s National Executive Committee.
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Blocking Mr Burnham’s candidacy will deny him the chance of winning a platform from which he could have formally challenged Sir Starmer, because only members of parliament can trigger a leadership contest.
The decision was made by a 10-strong sub-group of the NEC, chaired by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, on Sunday morning.
Confirming the decision in a statement, the Labor Party said the NEC had decided to deny Mr Burnham permission to stand in order to avoid “an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester mayor”.
The party said a mayoral by-election “would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources” before local elections in May.
“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 that are better spent tackling the cost of living crisis.”
The NEC decision will fuel discontent in a governing party whose popularity has plummeted since a landslide election win in July 2024, as Sir Starmer has struggled to deliver on promises of a stronger economy, better public services and tighter borders.
Last week, bond markets reacted negatively to the prospect of Mr Burnham’s return to parliament, with some investors taking a view that it could trigger political turmoil, and, if he did eventually replace Sir Starmer, a looser fiscal policy.
Mr Burnham criticised Sir Starmer’s leadership last year but said on Saturday he had assured the prime minister he wanted to “support the work of the government, not undermine it”.
Mr Burnham ran unsuccessfully to become party leader in 2015, when he was beaten by Jeremy Corbyn.
He left parliament to become Greater Manchester mayor in 2017 but has remained an influential figure for some progressive groups within Labor, particularly those critical of Sir Starmer’s more centrist stance.
A Labor backbencher MP told the Press Association the decision was “utter nonsense,” predicting the party would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” and called for the NEC to “change course and make the right decision”.
She told PA: “Otherwise, I think we’ll all come to regret this.”
Although previous MP Andrew Gwynne won the constituency comfortably in 2024, the collapse in Labor’s polling numbers since then means the party now faces a tough fight with Reform UK and the Green Party to retain the seat.
Other Labor MPs backed the decision, however, urging the party to avoid infighting and move on to winning the by-election.
Phil Brickell, who represents the Greater Manchester constituency of Bolton West, said speculation about Mr Burnham’s candidacy in recent days had “seen the Labor Party quickly turn inward … undermining the PM’s efforts at home and abroad”.
