Labour blocks Andy Burnham from Gorton and Denton by-election

Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Sources in the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) told the Press Association there had been a “very clear majority” against allowing Mr Burnham from applying for selection in the seat due to concerns about the cost of fighting a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester.

The decision was made by a 10-strong sub-group of the NEC, chaired by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Sunday morning.

Confirming the decision in a statement, the Labour Party said the NEC had decided to deny Mr Burnham permission to stand in order to avoid “an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester mayor”.

The party said a mayoral by-election “would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources” before local and devolved elections in May.

It added: “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.”

Despite blocking his candidacy, senior Labour politicians left the door open for Mr Burnham to return to Westminster after his term as mayor ends in 2028.

Steve Reed, the Local Government Secretary, told the BBC: “In due course, I look forward to seeing Andy back in Parliament”.

But he added that, at the moment, it would trigger an “avoidable” by-election and voters “don’t like elections that come mid-term”.

Blocking Mr Burnham is likely to provoke anger from some parts of the Labour Party after several senior figures called for local members to have the final say on whether he should stand.

They included deputy leader Lucy Powell, herself an NEC member, and Cabinet minister Ed Miliband, who had both told a conference in London on Saturday that the decision should be left to members.

A Labour backbencher told the Press Association the decision was “a total shitshow” and “utter nonsense”, predicting the party would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” and called for the NEC to “change course and make the right decision”.

She told PA: “Otherwise I think we’ll all come to regret this.”

Although previous MP Andrew Gwynne won the constituency comfortably in 2024, the collapse in Labour’s polling numbers since then means the party now faces a tough fight with Reform UK and the Green Party to retain the seat.

Other Labour MPs backed the decision, however, urging the party to avoid infighting and move on to winning the by-election.

Phil Brickell, who represents the Greater Manchester constituency of Bolton West, said speculation about Mr Burnham’s candidacy in recent days had “seen the Labour Party quickly turn inward… undermining the PM’s efforts at home and abroad”.

Rugby MP John Slinger said the “quick and clear decision” meant the party could “move on from the damaging, introspection and psychodrama of the last week” and “pull together” behind the eventual candidate.