Labour NEC blocks Andy Burnham from standing in Gorton and Denton by-election

Labour NEC blocks Andy Burnham from standing in Gorton and Denton by-election. The party's National Executive Committee refused to grant Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham permission to seek the Labour nomination after the seat opened when MP Andrew Gwynne resigned from Parliament on health grounds.

What the NEC said

NEC officials said they rejected Burnham's request because allowing him to run would force a separate Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, which they judged would place a substantial and disproportionate strain on party campaign resources and risk Labour's control of the mayoralty. Party rules require directly elected mayors to obtain NEC permission before seeking a Westminster nomination, and insiders warned fighting both contests could cost Labour roughly £1.5 million while the previous mayoral poll cost about £4.7m.

I would be there to support the work of the Government, not undermine it, and I have passed on this assurance to the Prime Minister.

Mr Burnham posted his letter to the NEC on social media site X at precisely 5pm last night. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has until 17:00 GMT on Saturday to decide if he wants to stand.

How the panel voted

A ten-member NEC officers' panel chaired by Shabana Mahmood took the decision and NEC sources said it voted 8-1 to block Burnham from applying; Mahmood reportedly abstained while Sir Keir Starmer voted against and Lucy Powell voted in favour.

Internal reaction

• John McDonnell (MP) said in an analysis that the decision was disgusting and would hasten pressure on Sir Keir Starmer.
• Richard Burgon (MP) said in an analysis that Sir Keir Starmer and his allies were prepared to lose Gorton and Denton to protect factional interests.
• Andrea Egan of Unison said in an analysis that blocking Burnham denied local members a democratic choice and would anger trade unionists.
• Dan Hodges wrote in an analysis that blocking Burnham was a catastrophic mistake that has sealed Sir Keir Starmer's premiership.
• John Slinger (MP) said in an analysis that the quick, clear NEC decision lets the party move on and avoid damaging infighting.
• Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, said in an official statement that the party should calm down and avoid political psychodrama.

The decision provoked immediate and furious rows inside Labour, with sources warning of anger and calls for reversal.

Electoral consequences and speculation

Many warned the block could make Labour vulnerable to losing Gorton and Denton to Reform UK or the Green Party. Some media reports alleged allies of Sir Keir Starmer tried to block Burnham to prevent a potential leadership challenge. Commentators speculated that if Burnham had returned to Parliament he would have been well placed to mount a leadership bid. The NEC said blocking Burnham would avoid wasting taxpayers' money and party resources ahead of May's elections.

Discrepancies in reporting

Reports vary on the scale of Labour's previous victory: BBC reporting said the party won the seat at the 2024 election with a majority of 13,000, while Metro reported the seat was won at the last election with 18,000 votes; the first figure appears to be a winning margin and the second a possible raw vote total, so they are different metrics rather than a simple contradiction.

What happens next

Mr Burnham had until 17:00 GMT on Saturday to decide whether to stand, but the NEC refused permission; many commentators say the party now faces a tough fight to hold the seat.

State of play

Reporting agrees that the NEC refused to allow Andy Burnham to seek selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election and that the vacancy followed MP Andrew Gwynne's resignation on health grounds; allies and commentators have alleged the block was intended to head off a possible leadership challenge and warned it may deepen internal divisions, while outlets differ on the exact electoral numbers reported (one cited a 13,000 majority, another 18,000 votes); reporting also noted Burnham had until 17:00 GMT on Saturday to decide whether to stand.