Andy Burnham has refuted allegations that he was forewarned about being blocked from running in a critical by-election. The Mayor of Greater Manchester faced disappointment as Labour’s governing body, supported by Keir Starmer, vetoed his candidacy, sparking backlash from numerous Labour MPs.
Approximately 50 backbenchers have signed a letter protesting the decision, asserting that there was no valid reason to prevent Mr. Burnham from pursuing his bid in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Recent reports from anonymous sources close to the Prime Minister indicated that Mr. Burnham had been informed in advance that his application to stand would not be accepted. Dismissing these claims as false, Mr. Burnham emphasized that he had engaged in discussions with key figures in Downing Street over the weekend to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of his candidacy.
Contradicting the alleged advance notice, a spokesperson from No10 concurred with Mr. Burnham’s account, asserting that no one from the Prime Minister’s office dissuaded him from seeking permission to stand or prejudged the decision of the NEC officers.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson argued on Monday that allowing Mr. Burnham to run in the by-election would trigger an additional election for the Greater Manchester mayoral post, from which Mr. Burnham would have to resign. Cabinet minister Steve Reed dismissed claims that the decision to block Mr. Burnham stemmed from fears of a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer, highlighting the importance of Mr. Burnham fulfilling his current mayoral term in Manchester.
Responding to speculations of a leadership challenge connection, Reed stated that the decision was solely based on Mr. Burnham’s commitment to serve his full term as mayor and the desire for Manchester residents to benefit from his continued exceptional performance until the term’s conclusion.