Critics accused the Prime Minister and his supporters of blocking Andy Burnham’s candidacy for fear of a leadership challenge from the mayor if he returned to Westminster
Andy Burnham has told LBC Labour must be united if it is to stave off Reform UK in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
The Manchester Mayor’s comments come in the wake of Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to block him from running in the by-election, thus ending his hopes of a return to Parliament.
Sir Keir has said the decision to block Mr Burnham was made to prevent Labour resources being “diverted” ahead of the local elections in May.
Despite these claims, it is widely believed Mr Burnham was blocked to prevent him from challenging Sir Keir’s leadership.
Speaking to LBC’s Natasha Clark, Mr Burnham called for Labour unity.
“What’s my message to MPs? Come up to Manchester,” he said.
“There’s a by-election about to happen. We need your help.
“The Greater Manchester way is built on togetherness.”
In what appears to be a veiled jab at the Labour leadership, he added: “Here, we don’t ever have a politics that’s about pitting people against each other.
“This is a place that’s succeeding because of its commitment to people of all backgrounds, working together for the common good.
“That is the Greater Manchester way and we want to preserve it.
“Come and join us. Let’s celebrate what we’ve achieved.”
The Prime Minister was among the 10 to vote against Mr Burnham’s bid, denying the mayor permission to stand in Gorton and Denton at a meeting on Sunday.
Starmer insisted Mr Burnham was doing a “great job” in Greater Manchester amid what can only be described as civil unrest within the party.
The PM added that allowing him to run for a Westminster seat would “divert our resources”.
The comments come as another backbencher told the Press Association that they expected Labour would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election without Mr Burnham’s help.
The NEC cited the cost of fighting a mayoral by-election and the risk of losing the Greater Manchester mayoralty.
But critics accused the Prime Minister and his supporters of blocking Mr Burnham’s candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor if he returned to Westminster.
They included backbench MPs such as former cabinet minister Louise Haigh, who said the NEC should reverse its decision “otherwise I think we’ll all come to regret this”, and Simon Opher, who called the decision an “own goal” for Sir Keir’s advisors.
Labour MP Karl Turner has told LBC it was a “mistake” to block Mr Burnham.
“I think it was a mistake. I think [Mr Burnham] should have been entitled to go forward to the next roundup, the very least, and then potentially be shortlisted for the CLP to choose their preferred candidate,” he said.
“Why do I say it? Because I think he was the best candidate on the basis of evidence. He won not just every single constituency ward in that massive Greater Manchester region, he won every single ballot box. “That is a massive result in that election. So I think he was best placed to be the candidate.
“I think he’s got a lot of experience, I think he offers a lot to Parliament, actually. And I think he could have been used by the Prime Minister in Cabinet, is my view.”
Mr Burnham himself said he was “disappointed” by the decision and “concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us”.
In a statement on social media, he said he would “return with full focus” to his mayoral job on Monday and urged unity in the face of “the divisive politics of Reform”.
But in a swipe at his party, he said the fact the NEC’s decision had been leaked to the press before he had been informed “tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days”.
Labour sources have strenuously denied that the party leaked the decision before informing Mr Burnham, and said they attempted to contact him shortly after the meeting by phone and email.
Other backbenchers backed the NEC’s decision, 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 Labour Party quickly turn inward… undermining the PM’s efforts at home and abroad”.
Rugby MP John Slinger said the “quick and clear decision” meant the party could “move on from the damaging, introspection and psychodrama of the last week” and “pull together” behind the eventual candidate.
Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he had sent a message to Sir Keir to tell him that “if he thinks this strengthens his position, I think it will used to hasten his demise if he’s not careful”.
Former Labour MP Diane Abbott, now standing as an independent, said: “If the results in May are as bad as we all think they’re going to be, a challenger will emerge from somewhere.”
By Henry Moore
