Andy Burnham newest: Starmer allies block Manchester mayor’s Westminster comeback bid | EUROtoday

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

The dwelling secretary abstained within the vote on Andy Burnham, regardless of being within the room, a transfer that flip may out to be essential to her personal probabilities of changing into Labour chief, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

Sources say her vote was customary because the chair of the assembly. And with the ultimate end result 8-1, her vote was not required. But ultimately not voting may show very consequential certainly.

Ms Mahmood will want the help first of Labour MPs after which Labour members had been she to mount her personal problem for the highest job some day. And with the ability to say she didn’t vote to dam Mr Burnham may are available in very useful certainly.

Shadow dwelling secretary Chris Philp has stated that the transfer to dam Andy Burnham from working within the Gorton and Denton by-election made Sir Keir Starmer look powerless.

He stated: “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 stated that Sir Keir Starmer’s determination to dam Andy Burnham from working within 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 incorporates Sir Keir and is chaired by dwelling secretary Shabana Mahmood, voted in opposition to Mr Burnham by 8-1.

Ms Mahmood reportedly abstained from voting as a result of her function as chair, and deputy chief of the Labour Party Lucy Powell voted in favour of Mr Burnham.

Mr McDonnell reacted to the information, 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 needed to keep away from “an unnecessary by-election” for the Greater Manchester mayoralty.

In an announcement, the celebration stated: “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 assembly of Labour’s highly effective ruling physique which blocked Andy Burnham from standing to grow to be an MP once more lasted solely round an hour, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

The vote was 8-1 in opposition to Mr Burnham, with solely his very long time ally Lucy Powell, the celebration’s deputy chief supporting him, and residential secretary Shabana Mahmood abstaining, as is customary for the chair. Sir Keir Starmer voted in opposition to.

The Independent understands that issues expressed through the assembly had been round a pricey election to interchange him in his mayoralty place, which might enable Reform UK to run a ‘poisonous and divisive’ marketing campaign in Greater Manchester. But provided that Mr Burnham has lengthy been seen as one in all Sir Keir’s primary management rivals, Labour will face accusations of a sew up designed to guard the PM.

Dame Diane Abbott, impartial MP for Hackney North, has stated that the transfer to dam Andy Burnham from the Gorton and Denton by-election “weakens Sir Keir Starmer’s position”.

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

Independent MP Rosie Duffield, who left the Labour celebration in 2024, has reacted to information that Andy Burnham has been blocked from working to be an MP, saying it “highlights how loathed and weak Sir Keir is”.

She stated it was “end days for this administration now”, including: “Of course Starmer loyalists have blocked Andy Burnham. He’s popular and an effective leader”.

Former chief of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, stated the transfer was an “absolutely terrible decision – fundamentally anti-democratic and a sign of utter weakness”, including: “It will come back to bite them”.

Andrea Egan, normal secretary of UNISON, stated: “I know many, many trade unionists will be so disappointed and angry at local members not being given a say over who their candidate should be.

“This isn’t the way any democratic organisation should be run. Now’s the time to unite our movement not divide it”.

Allies of Starmer have risked short-term acquire over long-term ache, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing to grow to be an MP within the upcoming by-election, a transfer that would have paved a approach for him to mount a management problem in opposition to the prime minister.

But the end result has been to go away the Labour chief wanting weaker.

On Saturday senior Labour figures, together with Cabinet minister Ed Miliband and London mayor Sadiq Khan stated native celebration members ought to have the choice of whether or not or not they select Mr Burnham.

Mr Burnham needed to ask permission to face as a result of as a metro mayor his election may set off one other, pricey, election for Labour, simply as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK senses blood. But the end result will result in accusations of a sew up designed to guard a struggling, and weak, PM.

Sir Keir Starmer and his allies have blocked Andy Burnham from working within the Gorton and Denton by-election.

It has been reported that the vote was 8-1 in opposition to Mr Burnham, with Labour deputy chair Lucy Powell voting in favour and the chair Shabana Mahmood abstaining as is the conference.