Burnham's Westminster Ambitions Face Starmer Roadblock
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has not abandoned his aspirations to return to Westminster, according to close allies, but would require assurances that Labour leader Keir Starmer would not obstruct his candidacy again before making another attempt. The mayor's immediate prospects for a parliamentary comeback appear distant, with sources from Number 10 indicating that relations between the two prominent Labour figures have deteriorated significantly, diminishing hopes for reconciliation.
Byelection Blockade Sparks Internal Backlash
As Labour leadership worked to contain mounting discontent, Starmer personally defended the decision to prevent Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton byelection scheduled for next month. This move has triggered substantial backlash against the prime minister from within his own party ranks. Starmer reportedly offered to support Burnham's candidacy for a different northwest England constituency in 2027, closer to the conclusion of his mayoral term. This timing would coincide with anticipated changes to the voting system favouring Labour and allow the party to arrange a suitable replacement for the Greater Manchester mayoral position.
However, this proposal failed to gain acceptance, and allies of the prime minister have since suggested that Burnham's publicly expressed anger over being blocked might prevent even a provisional agreement from materialising. "Andy had thought deeply about all of this and once you've reached the conclusion you want to come back, you don't change your mind," revealed one associate of the Greater Manchester mayor. "But he will be feeling bruised and disappointed, and you're not going to put yourself through it again unless you're confident of a different reaction."
Labour MPs Express Electoral Concerns
A second Burnham supporter contended that Labour parliamentarians should have advocated more vigorously for his inclusion on the Gorton and Denton byelection ticket, warning that maintaining the current trajectory could lead to electoral catastrophe. "The parliamentary Labour party does not yet feel a burning sense of the existential threat to the party. It's now more likely that any change will be in the wrong direction or insufficiently radical," they cautioned.
A letter circulating among soft-left Labour backbenchers described the decision to block Burnham as "a gift" to Nigel Farage and warned that losing the byelection would prove "unimaginable." This correspondence emerged after Burnham himself appeared to predict Labour's defeat in the upcoming contest.
Soft-Left Faction Voices Disquiet
The executive committee of the soft-left Tribune group of MPs, including former ministers Louise Haigh and Justin Madders alongside select committee chair Sarah Owen, has formally expressed concern about the Burnham decision to Shabana Mahmood, chair of Labour's national executive committee. As candidate interviews for the Gorton seat commenced on Tuesday, numerous Burnham allies acknowledged that their hopes for his participation had been effectively extinguished.
Starmer explained on Monday that he and fellow NEC officers determined preventing Burnham from resigning as Greater Manchester mayor would avoid triggering an expensive mayoral election. "Andy Burnham's doing a great job as the mayor of Manchester, but having an election for the mayor of Manchester when it's not necessary would divert our resources away from the elections that we must have, that we must fight and win," Starmer stated. "Resources, whether that's money or people, need to be focused on the elections that we must have, not elections that we don't have to have. And that was the basis of the NEC decision."
Party Unity Efforts Amidst Turmoil
Addressing the internal discord, Starmer emphasised: "Yes, there is a fight, but that fight is with Reform and we all need to line up together to be in that fight, all playing our part. I think that everybody in the Labour party, everybody who's a Labour MP, wants to be in that fight, wants to fight alongside all their colleagues in a fight that matters hugely to the future of our country."
Allies of the prime minister sought to consolidate support following several turbulent days, coinciding with Starmer's departure for diplomatic visits to China and Japan. Attorney General Richard Hermer, a close friend of Starmer, told a private meeting of MPs: "What we are achieving as a government is radical, deeply principled and nothing short of an attempt to rework the state, so it is fairer and more equal for all."
Hermer continued: "I do not for one minute underestimate the political challenge we face. Or how many people do not trust politicians and will not do so until they can at least feel we are making a difference. But nor do I underestimate this party, and my passionate belief that as our policies take hold, we will change this country for the better and for the long term." He added personal endorsement: "I can say with all honesty that Keir was the most able and principled lawyer of his generation and his belief in public service is every bit as strong today as it was then."
Mixed Reactions and Football Metaphors
Responses within parliamentary ranks remained divided. One typically loyal MP remarked: "Everybody was in a massive grump before Christmas and now they've come back and nothing has got any better. Keir has used an opportunity to demonstrate strength, and instead demonstrated weakness."
Burnham expressed disappointment about the decision on Sunday, pledging support for whoever ultimately secures selection for the seat recently vacated by Andrew Gwynne. In a Monday night social media post, he attempted to inject humour into the situation. Ahead of an Everton versus Leeds football match, Burnham posted: "Given the weekend I've had it feels very much like a Dominic Calvert-Lewin hat-trick is now incoming," referencing the former Everton striker now playing for Leeds.
Had Burnham been selected for the parliamentary seat, he would have been required to relinquish his Greater Manchester mayoral position less than halfway through his four-year term, necessitating a costly byelection. A Labour statement issued on Sunday emphasised this "would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources ahead of the local elections and elections to the Scottish parliament and Welsh Senedd in May."
The decision has provoked anger among numerous Labour MPs, including some not traditionally aligned with Burnham, with one criticising what they termed "petty factionalism." Several of Labour's trade union supporters have also voiced criticism of the move, highlighting the deepening divisions within the party as it navigates this internal controversy while preparing for crucial electoral contests.
