Labour’s powerful ruling body has called for a “pause” in the decision on Andy Burnham’s future over fears of a stitch-up, according to a leaked letter seen by the BBC.
As a civil war within Labour erupts over the Greater Manchester mayor, allies of Keir Starmer have already been warned not to block bid to return to Parliament, which could pave the way for a potential challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Ten members of a sub-committee of Labour’s governing National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet today to decide whether to permit him to stand in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election after he threw his hat into the ring on Saturday.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary who chairs the committee, said he was an “exceptional politician” but the decision would be “finely balanced” for some members, because allowing him to stand risks triggering another election for a new mayor, at huge financial cost to the party.
Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Mahmood was told the BBC had seen a leaked draft letter, written by the full NEC, that suggested “any attempt to rule out certain candidates will be seen as undemocratic interference”.
It also said the current timetable “should be paused so that the whole NEC committee should be included in setting out this timeline and this process”.
Ms Mahmood hit back saying the party was following “normal practice” for selection decisions. She also said it was not unusual for the party to have “big rows over selection”.
The row has erupted amid a growing backlash against Mr Burnham from Labour MPs.
On Saturday night the Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid went public with her objections warning of an “energy-sapping distraction, which is why many of us would probably have preferred Andy Burnham to stay out of it.”
Being mayor was “a bigger job than being a backbench MP,” she said. “So either he’s seeking a quieter life, or he’s on manoeuvres. If it’s the latter, it’s the last thing we need in the run-up to the May elections.”
Tom Rutland, the Labour MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, tweeted: “Those who chose to run for election in 2024 to different positions – with significant responsibilities and a mandate from their voters – should stay in them.”
Senior Labour figures, including Cabinet minister Ed Miliband and deputy leader Lucy Powell, have said local party members should have the option of whether or not they choose Mr Burnham.
The Gorton and Denton by-election was triggered on Thursday after the sitting MP, Andrew Gwynne, announced he was standing down on health grounds.
Getting permission to stand is far from the only hurdle Mr Burnham will have to clear. The NEC could still impose an all women shortlist, a mechanism designed to counter the fact that most Labour MPs are men, Ms Mahmood confirmed. However, she squashed suggestions of an all-BAME (Black and minority ethnic) shortlist, saying that was not allowed “by law”. The final decision on who they want as their candidate will then go to local Labour members.
Although Mr Gwynne won the seat with 51 per cent of the vote in 2024, Mr Burnham could still face a tough fight given Labour’s collapse in opinion polls and the rise of both Reform UK on the right and the Green Party on the left.
If he was elected, Mr Burnham would be legally required to stand down as the mayor of Greater Manchester, triggering another by-election.
