Starmer allies ‘plan to block Andy Burnham’s route again to Westminster’ | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer’s allies are planning to dam potential management rival Andy Burnham’s route again to Westminster, in accordance with stories.

Former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne, who had the whip eliminated over offensive WhatsApp messages, stood down as an MP on Thursday.

His departure creates a route for Mr Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, to make a Commons comeback that might permit him to problem Sir Keir’s place, following hypothesis that he might stand within the upcoming by-election for Gorton and Denton.

However, the prime minister’s allies on Labour’s nationwide govt committee (NEC) have vowed to attempt to block Mr Burnham from standing within the May by-election, The Times has reported.

There is an “overwhelming anti-Burnham coalition that spans left and right on the NEC”, in accordance with one in every of its members.

Another instructed the newspaper that the prospect of a Manchester mayoral election is “worrying even the most anti-leadership members”.

A 3rd mentioned they might help a Burnham management in a “utopia” however conceded the fact is “it’ll be so bad in areas we are already bleeding votes”.

It has even been reported that No 10 is toying with the thought of imposing a “loyalty pledge” by which candidates must verify their allegiance to Sir Keir. Consequently, if Mr Burnham launched a management bid, he may very well be painted as a traitor.

Despite repeatedly declining to rule out a Commons comeback or management problem, the Manchester mayor urged folks to not “rush to conclusions” following Mr Gwynne’s resignation.

If profitable, Mr Burnham might return to parliament simply because the prime minister reaches his lowest ebb, with Scottish and Welsh elections and English council elections in May anticipated to be disastrous for Labour.

Just hours after the by-election was confirmed, Sir Keir warned his MPs to cease speaking about potential management challenges, saying in an interview with Channel 4 News that “every minute we waste talking about anything other than the cost of living and stability in Europe and across the globe is a wasted minute”.

Mr Gwynne, who has been away from parliament on sick depart, had beforehand denied that he was desiring to vacate the seat, saying in September that the “route to No 10” was not going to be via his seat.

He was sacked as well being minister and suspended from the Labour Party in February final 12 months over feedback made in a WhatsApp group. He reportedly posted sexist feedback about Angela Rayner, racist remarks in regards to the Labour MP Diane Abbott and joked in a closed group chat with Labour figures primarily based round Manchester about an aged girl dying. At the time, he publicly apologised and mentioned he regretted the “badly misjudged” remarks.

On Thursday afternoon, he confirmed he would stand down from his Gorton and Denton constituency, citing well being causes.

In a publish on Facebook, the MP wrote: “I haven’t acquired every thing proper and I’ve definitely made errors, however I’ve at all times tried my easiest and I’ve helped tens of 1000’s of constituents with their points alongside the best way. Indeed it’s been serving to people who’s given me the best pleasure in these jobs.”

Mr Gwynne said he had “suffered significant ill-health over most of the 21 years I’ve served as an MP”, which had been “greatly exacerbated by the impact of last year’s events regarding leaked text messages”.

Before the by-election was confirmed, Sir Keir would not say whether he supported the idea of Mr Burnham standing as an MP if a vacancy were to arise, but added that Mr Burnham was “doing an excellent job” as mayor.

Meanwhile, there was widespread hypothesis over Mr Burnham’s management ambitions, with the mayor often tipped because the main candidate to take over ought to Sir Keir’s place as prime minister turn out to be untenable.

Mr Burnham was the main target of such rumours on the Labour Party convention in September, when he revealed that MPs had been privately urging him to problem Sir Keir.

But he later criticised stories of a management bid, and wrote on X in December: “Quite a lot of rubbish in the papers today. Reminds me why I left Westminster in the first place!”

On Thursday afternoon, he mentioned he was “in the dark” over a possible by-election. He mentioned: “It’s not been confirmed to me. I’ve had no contact on this issue with Andrew or anyone close to him. I know him of old, of course, but I’m as in the dark about this as anyone.”

He added: “People shouldn’t rush to conclusions.”

Any by-election seems prone to be referred to as to coincide with May’s elections. That would give Labour a higher probability of holding the seat, and probably the Greater Manchester mayoralty, towards Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, at present using excessive in nationwide opinion polls.

Mr Farage’s outfit, which doesn’t have the infrastructure of bigger events, is already anticipated to be unfold skinny preventing for votes in Scotland, Wales and throughout English councils on 7 May.

But the timing raises the prospect that Mr Burnham might turn out to be an MP, a prerequisite for getting the highest job, simply as Sir Keir suffers his most important blow in workplace.

There are fears Labour might face a wipeout in some areas on the upcoming native elections, in what may very well be a key second in Sir Keir’s time as prime minister.

The most up-to-date YouGov MRP, which was carried out in September 2025, projected a Labour maintain within the constituency with Labour on 30 per cent and Reform UK on 24.

Earlier this month, the main pollster Professor Sir John Curtice mentioned Mr Burnham represented Labour’s greatest hope of holding Nigel Farage out of No 10.

Sir John instructed The Independent he believed solely Mr Burnham had the help inside the Labour Party, and attraction to the broader citizens, to be an efficient alternative for Sir Keir, who he mentioned “doesn’t have the skill set for Downing Street”.

A YouGov ballot final month additionally confirmed Mr Burnham was the clear frontrunner among the many candidates tipped to succeed Sir Keir, forward of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Mr Streeting. But there was a backlash amongst some Labour MPs towards the thought of Mr Burnham standing. One Labour MP instructed The Independent that it will be “nothing more than a distraction that can roll on for months that we frankly don’t f***ing need”.

The Independent has contacted each Mr Gwynne and Mr Burnham for remark.