Andy Burnham latest: Starmer allies block Manchester mayor’s Westminster comeback bid

Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh said Labour should "change course" and allow Andy Burnham to stand in Gorton and Denton or "we'll all come to regret this".

She said: "This is an incredibly disappointing decision.

"There's no point pretending we don't have a problem connecting with the public at the minute.

"The leadership should not feel threatened by having one of the most popular politicians in the country as part of the national team.

"It's not too late to change course and make the right decision. Otherwise I think we'll all come to regret this."

Home Office minister Mike Tapp has said that being elected to “public office is an honour” in a cryptic message following the NEC’s vote to block Andy Burnham.

He reacted saying: “Being elected to public office is an honour, and that responsibility should be respected. The public expects us to get on with the job we were elected to do.

“Let’s keep these Putin loving, fake patriot, washed up Tories out of Gorton and Denton”.

Labour MP for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, has said that the vote against Andy Burnham was a “stitch-up” that “puts control before country”.

He added: “The strength of the Labour movement lies in its pluralist broad church. The authoritarian factionalism of the Labour right is tearing us apart. This must be reversed. Our members expect us to come together to beat Reform.”

He continued: “Those who have orchestrated this outcome are happy to destroy the Labour Party because of their deep seated factionalism. We’ve seen this before when some individuals were actively working against us winning. We’re rapidly losing all sense of reason.”

Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East, said that “Keir Starmer and his clique have shown they’re prepared to lose Gorton and Denton to Reform - just to protect narrow factional interests”.

He accused Sir Keir of “weak leadership” that “will only deepen the crisis the party is in”. He called for “an emergency NEC meeting to resolve this mess”.

Jon Trickett MP reacted saying: “Strong leaders don’t hide from talent, they make common cause.”

However Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, David Taylor, thanked the NEC for “this quick decision, which avoids an additional - and even more unnecessary - by-election”.

He said the Manchester mayoral election would have “wasted both taxpayer’s money (£4m), and our own Party’s funds.”

Sir Keir Starmer has wished everyone a Happy Burns Night minutes after blocking mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

The home secretary abstained in the vote on Andy Burnham, despite being in the room, a move that turn could out to be crucial to her own chances of becoming Labour leader, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

Sources say her vote was customary as the chair of the meeting. And with the final result 8-1, her vote was not required. But in the end not voting could prove very consequential indeed.

Ms Mahmood will need the support first of Labour MPs and then Labour members were she to mount her own challenge for the top job some day. And being able to say she did not vote to block Mr Burnham could come in very handy indeed.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has said that the move to block Andy Burnham from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election made Sir Keir Starmer look powerless.

He said: “Keir Starmer is so weak and scared he won’t even allow Andy Burnham to run for parliament.

“Starmer is scared Burnham would replace him, so has used his control of the NEC to block him. To be fair, Burnham could hardly be worse”.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome wrote: “In the most unsurprising turn of events, some Labour right apparatchiks care more about settling personal scores than winning elections after all.

“Even if it means risking gifting Reform another seat in Parliament. They’re destroying the only electoral vehicle currently capable of stopping a proto-fascist government in 2029. Faction before party before country”.

However Labour MP John Slinger reacted saying: “The quick and clear decision of Labour’s NEC means we can move on from the damaging, introspection and psychodrama of the last week.

“We need to pull together behind whoever is selected in the by-election. As a united team we can beat Reform and then focus on vital elections in May”.

Former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has said that Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to block Andy Burnham from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election is “disgusting”.

A sub-committee of the National Executive Committee voted on Mr Burnham’s bid this morning. The committee, which includes Sir Keir and is chaired by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, voted against Mr Burnham by 8-1.

Ms Mahmood reportedly abstained from voting due to her role as chair, and deputy leader of the Labour Party Lucy Powell voted in favour of Mr Burnham.

Mr McDonnell reacted to the news, saying: “Message to Keir: Do not underestimate the depth of anger people will feel about this disgusting decision. If you think it strengthens you I tell you it will simply hasten your demise.

“You could have shown magnanimous leadership but instead it’s cowardice.”

Labour has confirmed that its National Executive Committee has blocked Andy Burnham from standing in Gorton and Denton, saying it wanted to avoid “an unnecessary by-election” for the Greater Manchester mayoralty.

In a statement, the party said: “Directly-elected mayors and police and crime commissioners must seek the express permission of Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, before seeking nomination as a Labour candidate for the Westminster Parliament in accordance with Chapter 5, Clause IV, 2 of the Labour Party Rule Book.

“This rule was put in place to avoid the party incurring unnecessary costs of running two simultaneous political campaigns.

“Yesterday Andy Burnham sought such permission from the NEC to stand in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election, which would have led to a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester.

“The NEC has decided not to grant Andy Burnham permission to stand.

“The NEC believes that causing an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester mayor would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources before the local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May.

“Although the party would be confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC could not put Labour’s control of Greater Manchester at any risk.

“Andy Burnham is doing a great job as mayor of Greater Manchester. 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.

“We look forward to fighting and winning the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton and the positive campaign ahead which will be firmly focused on tackling the cost of living and bringing investment to the local area.”

The meeting of Labour’s powerful ruling body which blocked Andy Burnham from standing to become an MP again lasted only around an hour, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

The vote was 8-1 against Mr Burnham, with only his long time ally Lucy Powell, the party’s deputy leader supporting him, and home secretary Shabana Mahmood abstaining, as is customary for the chair. Sir Keir Starmer voted against.

The Independent understands that concerns expressed during the meeting were around a costly election to replace him in his mayoralty position, which would allow Reform UK to run a 'toxic and divisive' campaign in Greater Manchester. But given that Mr Burnham has long been seen as one of Sir Keir's main leadership rivals, Labour will face accusations of a stitch up designed to protect the PM.

Dame Diane Abbott, independent MP for Hackney North, has said that the move to block Andy Burnham from the Gorton and Denton by-election “weakens Sir Keir Starmer’s position”.

Speaking to Times Radio, she said that the vote shows “that he thinks he is weak”. She warned that if the results from the May elections are bad for Labour then “a challenger will emerge from somewhere and Starmer will be in a very difficult position”.