A decision on whether to allow Andy Burnham to run in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election is expected today, with pressure mounting on allies of Sir Keir Starmer not to block him.
If the mayor of Greater Manchester is selected, it could pave the way for a return to parliament and a potential leadership challenge to Sir Keir.
Mr Burnham asked Labour’s powerful ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), whose membership includes many Starmer loyalists, for permission to stand in the contest yesterday. They will meet on Sunday to decide whether to let him run.
Mr Burnham’s supporters have already warned the party not to use the NEC to block him, saying it would be “outrageous” and show that “nasty factionalism” was more important than beating Reform UK in the seat.
Sir Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, energy minister Ed Milliband and deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell are among those calling for local members to be allowed to decide who represents them in the by-election fight against Nigel Farage’s party and the Greens.
Read MoreBurnham takes fight to Starmer as he launches new bid to become Labour MP
Starmer must block Burnham’s return if he wants to remain PM
Could Keir Starmer survive an Andy Burnham leadership challenge?
Andy Burnham: Could the ‘King of the North’ return to Westminster and nab the top job?
Key Points
- Chair of NEC Mahmood says she will be impartial ahead of meeting to decide on Burnham's bid
- Burnham confirms bid to stand as MP
- Manchester mayor says he will 'support work of government, not undermine it'
- Burnham's MP bid: What is expected today?
- Andy Burnham's letter to the Labour NEC chair in full
Burnham's MP bid: What is expected today?
08:43 , Holly BancroftLabour’s ruling body is set to decide whether Andy Burnham can stand as a by-election candidate as the Greater Manchester mayor plots a return to Westminster.
The party's National Executive Committee (NEC) is expected to meet virtually on Sunday after Mr Burnham applied for permission to contest the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
Labour Party rules give the NEC a veto over regional mayors contesting parliamentary elections under a change introduced after the last election, designed to prevent costly mayoral by-elections.
The committee now faces a dilemma over whether to exercise that power, with sources worried it will anger some party members whether it allows Mr Burnham to stand or not.
Sources close to the NEC have expressed concern about the expense of fighting a mayoral by-election in Manchester, while reports suggest supporters of Sir Keir Starmer are concerned about Mr Burnham's leadership ambitions.
But senior Labour figures, including Cabinet minister and former leader Ed Miliband, have urged the committee not to block Mr Burnham's candidacy and allow local members to decide.
Mahmood: Labour should 'take Andy at his word'
08:43 , Holly BancroftMs Mahmood has said that Labour “should take Andy at his word” and believe that he wants to support the government.
Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News, she said: “I don’t think that all of these hypotheticals, machinations, these are, I understand why people ask these questions but to be honest from my perspective we as a government and a party need to pull together. We have tough local elections coming up, we have a strong case to make to the country, I’m not scared of Reform or the Greens I say we take the fight to them. It’s a fight I believe that we can win.”
Referring to the drama created by Mr Burnham’s bid to become an MP, Ms Mahmood said: “Everyone has to make their own decisions... I think everyone could do with less psychodrama.”
Chair of NEC Mahmood says she will be impartial ahead of meeting to decide on Burnham's bid
08:38 , Holly BancroftHome secretary Shabana Mahmood has said that Andy Burnham is a “fantastic mayor for Greater Manchester” and refused to be drawn on whether she will back his bid to become an MP.
Speaking on Sky on Sunday morning, she said Mr Burnham’s letter to Labour’s NEC made his “case in a fair-minded and decent way”.
She added: “I am the chair of that committee, and I think it’s my job to be an impartial chair...It’s not my job as the chair to make comments.”
She said: “I play these things with a straight bat, we have the meeting later on today and that’s where the decision will be made.”
Andy Burnham's letter to the Labour NEC chair in full
08:20 , Bryony Gooch“Dear Chair
“I write to seek the permission of the NEC to enter the process for the selection of Labour’s candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
“This has been a difficult decision for me to make and I thought it would help members of the NEC if I shared my reasoning in reaching it.
“Of course, nobody wanted or expected a by-election at this time and I have given careful thought to what is in the best interests of our Party and the city-region I represent. With that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that this is the moment to mount the strongest possible defence of what we stand for and what we have built in this city over many generations.
“Manchester inspires because it is a place that has always stood for the equality of all people, right back to the cotton workers of 1862 who refused to handle slave-picked cotton. In my time as Mayor, I have drawn strength from that tradition and worked hard to unite people. We are famous for our togetherness and, from that foundation, we are achieving huge success as the UK’s fastest-growing city region.
“And yet, there is now a direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other. It brings with it a poison we should not let enter our city-region. I see this by-election as the front line of that fight for the Manchester Way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved.
“With your permission to stand, I would run a hopeful and unifying campaign with broad appeal to voters, focusing on the positivity around what we have achieved, whilst at the same time being honest about the alienation people feel from politics.
“I left Westminster almost 10 years ago because I felt it too and had a strong sense that it wasn’t working for people in our part of the world.
“In my current job, I have tried to pioneer a different way of doing things with some success. But I have learnt in my nine years as Mayor that Manchester won’t be able to be everything it should be without similar changes at a national level. This is why I feel the need to go back.
“When so many people in a city-region like this are struggling to afford the daily basics, they are surely right to question why the country gave away control of them in the first place, in whose interests it is run and why no government of any colour has corrected these things for them.
“I applaud this Government for being the first in a long time to face up to them and put people before profit. The progress already made on rail renationalisation, bus re-regulation, the housing crisis and devolution is truly impressive. My role in returning would be to use my experience to help it to go further and faster, as well as communicate the difference it is making. I would be there to support the work of the Government, not undermine it, and I have passed on this assurance to the Prime Minister.
“I can assure the NEC that, if allowed to stand and successful in the by-election, I would give my all to the subsequent Greater Manchester mayoral by-election. We have such a powerful story to tell of the change Greater Manchester Labour has brought to the city-region and I am confident we can win and take that success story into a new era.
“I hope this makes my reasoning clear and I attach the required form with further information. Out of respect for this internal process, I will not be giving any further public statements until it is concluded beyond the release of this letter. I am sad at the circumstances in which all this has come about and, while he clearly made mistakes, I want to recognise the dedicated service of Andrew Gwynne to this area over many years.
“Yours sincerely
“Rt Hon Andy Burnham”
Starmer vs Burnham: How Keir plans to take back control in the North
08:00 , Bryony Gooch How Starmer plans to dethrone King of the North Andy Burnham
Which Labour MPs have welcomed the idea of Andy Burnham back in Westminster?
07:45 , Bryony GoochHere are the Labour MPs who have reacted positively to having Andy Burnham return as an MP:
Ed Miliband has said Mr Burnham would be a massive asset and Sir Keir “needs the best possible team serving under him”.
Bridget Powell backed giving local members the final say and described Mr Burnham as “incredibly popular”.
Angela Rayner is reportedly set to support Mr Burnham’s return to Westminster, according to The Times.
Watch: 'Let Burnham choose whether to stand in by-election', says Labour deputy
07:30 , Bryony GoochWhat can we expect from today?
07:11 , Bryony GoochLabour’s ruling body is set to decide whether Andy Burnham can stand as a by-election candidate as the Greater Manchester mayor plots a return to Westminster.
On Saturday he made clear his intention to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election, setting up a potential return to Westminster for the Greater Manchester mayor.
Decision on whether Burnham can apply for selection could come as early as today
07:00 , Tara CobhamAndy Burnham said he had applied to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) for permission to seek selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election on Saturday.
Given the timetable for choosing a candidate set out by the NEC, the latest it can make a decision on whether Mr Burnham can apply for selection is Monday, but a decision could come as early as Sunday.
Profile on Andy Burnham: Could the ‘King of the North’ return to Westminster and nab the top job?
06:00 , Tara CobhamIt would not be the first time that the mayor of a big city went on to become head of their country’s government, though it’s unusual. Three US presidents have done so (Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge), and in Europe there are the highly notable examples of Chancellor Willy Brandt (graduating from West Berlin), and Jacques Chirac (Paris). Here, of course, we saw Boris Johnson perfecting his populist skills in London before, in due course, graduating to the premiership. The question for 2026 is whether Andy Burnham can make a similar journey from his mayoral HQ at the Tootal Building in Manchester to 10 Downing Street. The upcoming by-election in the usually safe Labour seat of Gorton, well inside Burnham’s northern fiefdom, opens up at least the possibility that Burnham might repeat Johnson’s feat.
Burnham, a minister in the Blair and Brown governments who has been reborn as the mayor of Greater Manchester, has already been almost prime minister, you know. He may presently be the “King of the North”, enjoying marginally better ratings that the party nationally, but he could now be trying, for the third time, for an even more exalted position – leader of the Labour Party, and with it, the premiership. It was a laughable proposition for almost the whole of Sir Keir Starmer’s period of previously unassailable dominance, but suddenly, before last autumn’s party conference, in a panicky mood, the Labour Party seemed to have caught what might be termed “the Tory disease” – the delusion that a change of leader can solve all its problems, coupled with an addiction to plotting. Burnham, away from Westminster for most of the past decade, seemed to be the nearest thing they have to a fresh start.
Sean O’Grady writes:
Andy Burnham: Could the ‘King of the North’ return to Westminster for the top job?
Editorial: Now is not the time to undermine the prime minister
05:00 , Tara CobhamAndy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, promises, in his request for permission to stand in a by-election to return to Westminster, “to support the work of the government, not undermine it”.
But his very presence in the House of Commons would be a distraction for the prime minister.
Sir Keir Starmer has scored successes on the international stage in recent days. He pushed Elon Musk to disable his pornographic AI. He stood firm against Donald Trump on Greenland, and demanded an apology for the US president’s slur on allied forces in Afghanistan.
Read more here:
Now is not the time to undermine the prime minister
Burnham's candidacy welcomed by Miliband
04:00 , Tara CobhamAndy Burnham’s candidacy was welcomed by Cabinet minister Ed Miliband, who was giving a speech to the Fabian Society’s annual conference in London as the mayor made his announcement.
Mr Miliband said Mr Burnham had done “an outstanding job” as mayor and would be “a massive asset” in parliament, adding he hoped the Gorton and Denton party would have “the option” of selecting him as a candidate.
He said: “My view about this is Keir needs the best possible team serving under him in parliament.”
Mr Miliband denied that Mr Burnham’s return to Westminster would raise questions about Sir Keir’s leadership, given the mayor is widely believed to have ambitions to become leader himself.
He said: “The Labour party needs to look outwards and not inwards and it needs to be loyal to Keir and it needs to get on with the job of serving the country.”
Polls indicate Burnham could face tough fight in by-election
01:00 , Tara CobhamThe Gorton and Denton by-election was triggered on Thursday after the sitting MP, Andrew Gwynne, announced his resignation from parliament on health grounds.
Although Mr Gwynne won the seat with 51 per cent of the vote in 2024, Andy Burnham could still face a tough fight given the collapse in Labour’s polling position and the rise of both Reform UK and the Green Party.
Full story: Burnham takes fight to Starmer as he launches new bid to become Labour MP
00:00 , Tara CobhamAndy Burnham has confirmed he is seeking to stand for Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, paving the way for a return to parliament and a potential leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said the decision had been “difficult”, but now was “the moment to mount the strongest possible defence” of Labour’s values as he asked for permission to stand from the party’s powerful ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), whose membership includes many Starmer loyalists.
In a letter to the NEC released as the 5pm deadline to apply passed, Mr Burnham said he would support the government “not undermine it” and that he had passed that assurance on to the prime minister.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Burnham takes fight to Starmer with fresh bid to become Labour MP
City-wide by-election would be triggered in Manchester if Burnham elected as MP
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:00 , Tara CobhamIf elected as an MP, Andy Burnham would be legally required to stand down as mayor of Greater Manchester, triggering a city-wide by-election.
In his letter to the NEC, he said he would “give my all” in any mayoral by-election, adding he was “confident” Labour could win.
Labour MP goes public against Burnham
Saturday 24 January 2026 20:30 , Tara CobhamWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
A Labour MP has gone public against Andy Burnham’s Westminster comeback bid.
In a post on X on Saturday evening, Joani Reid MP said: “The Gorton and Denton selection process has become an energy-sapping distraction, which is why many of us would probably have preferred Andy Burnham to stay out of it.
“He's not even halfway through his term as Mayor, and frankly Mayor of Manchester is a bigger job than being a backbench MP. 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.”
The Gorton and Denton selection process has become an energy -sapping distraction, which is why many of us would probably have preferred Andy Burnham to stay out of it.
— Joani Reid MP (@JoaniReid) January 24, 2026
He's not even halfway through his term as Mayor, and frankly Mayor of Manchester is a bigger job than being a… https://t.co/22X9SD3BjA
Mainstream Labour group launch petition against 'stitch-up' against Burnham
Saturday 24 January 2026 19:05 , Tara CobhamWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
The Mainstream Labour group have launched a petition against a “stitch-up” against Andy Burnham over the Gorton and Denton by-election.
It reads: “Labour can win in the Gorton and Denton by-election if we lead with our values and allow a fair, democratic and open selection for our candidate.
“Labour is at its most powerful when we draw upon the strengths, talents and ideas of our entire movement.
“That’s how we deliver real change and transform the country.
“A stitch-up from the top would undermine Labour’s credibility with the public and send the wrong message to the dedicated members of our party.
“And it could cost the Labour Party the Gorton and Denton by-election.”
'A president who disrespects allies risks them not being there,' ex-defence secretary says
Saturday 24 January 2026 18:54 , Tara CobhamWhitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Former defence secretary Grant Shapps told the Independent he was “relieved that President Trump has finally acknowledged the sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan, who fought and died alongside the US after 9/11 – the only time NATO’s Article 5 has ever been invoked.
“But a president who repeatedly disrespects allies risks them not being there when it matters in the future.”
Labour minister says it should be for local members to decide on Burnham candidacy
Saturday 24 January 2026 18:34 , Holly BancroftMiatta Fahnbulleh, Labour MP for Peckham and minister for devolution, faith and communities, has said Andy Burnham should not be blocked from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Speaking to Labour List ahead of Mr Burnham announcing his decision, she said: “If he does put his hat in his ring, then it should be for local members to decide if he’s the best candidate to win that by-election.
“I’ve worked with Andy both in this job and in other jobs, he has been a brilliant mayor of Greater Manchester, a city region that is overseeing the highest productivity growth - outperforming the national average.
“I think we have a fight on our hands as a government to both change the country and to beat Reform and we should have our best players in the team”.
She added that “stitch ups are not the thing that the Labour party should be doing”, saying it should be for “local members to decide”.
‼️ LABOURLIST EXC:
— LabourList (@LabourList) January 24, 2026
💬 "I think stitch ups are not the thing that the Labour Party should be doing" - Miatta Fahnbulleh gives her thoughts on whether Andy Burnham should be allowed to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election 👀
🔴 Watch to see her full response... pic.twitter.com/nOvWMnwAjA
Labour MP piles on pressure to let Andy Burnham run
Saturday 24 January 2026 18:05 , Holly BancroftMoments after his announcement, Labour MPs piled pressure on the party’s NEC not to block Andy Burnham’s bid to become the Labour’s candidate at the Gorton and Denton by-election, writes Kate Devlin.
Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, tweeted: “There is no legitimate reason why a candidate of Andy's calibre should be denied being put before the party membership.”
Burnham's bid to become MP will cause 'distraction and drama' at every turn
Saturday 24 January 2026 17:41 , Holly BancroftOne Labour MP has told The Independent’s Kate Devlin that Andy Burnham’s bid to become an MP was the worst outcome for the party. They explained: "Because now it's a distraction and a drama every time anyone in the process so much as coughs."
Mr Burnham has sought permission from the national executive committee (NEC) to stand in the upcoming by-election. The NEC is currently chaired by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, with other MPs including Ellie Reeves, the solicitor general and sister of the chancellor, and chief whip Jonathan Reynolds.
Burnham: I want to help Labour to go 'further and faster'
Saturday 24 January 2026 17:27 , Holly BancroftAndy Burnham has said that he wants to get back into Westminster politics to help make changes at “a national level”.
Speaking about his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, he said: “I have tried to pioneer a different way of doing things with some success. But I have learnt in my nine years as mayor that Manchester won’t be able to be everything it should be without similar changes at a national level. This is why I feel the need to go back.
“When so many people in a city-region like this are struggling to afford the daily basics, they are surely right to question why the country gave away control of them in the first place, in whose interests it is run and why no government of any colour has corrected these things for them.”
He added: “I applaud this government for being the first in a long time to face up to them and put people before profit...My role in returning would be to use my experience to help it go further and faster, as well as communicate the difference it is making”.
Burnham: I am ready to mount strong defence of what we stand for
Saturday 24 January 2026 17:19 , Holly BancroftIn his letter to the National Executive Committee, seeking permission to stand at the forthcoming by-election, Mr Burnham said that he had decided to put his name forward after “careful thought to what is in the best interests of our Party and the city-region I represent”.
He added: “With that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that this is the moment to mount the strongest possible defence of what we stand for and what we have built in this city over many generations.
“Manchester inspires because it is a place that has always stood for the equality of all people, right back to the cotton workers of 1862 who refused to handle slave-picked cotton. In my time as Mayor, I have drawn strength from that tradition and worked hard to unite people. We are famous for our togetherness and, from that foundation, we are achieving huge success as the UK’s fastest-growing city region.
“And yet, there is now a direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other. It brings with it a poison we should not let enter our city-region.
“I see this by-election as the frontline of that fight for the Manchester Way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved”.
Andy Burnham seeks permission to stand in by-election, saying he would 'support the work of the government'
Saturday 24 January 2026 17:11 , Holly BancroftAndy Burnham has said he would use his potential selection as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election to “support the work of the government, not undermine it”.
In a statement published on social media at 5pm, Mr Burnham said he had given these assurances “to the prime minister”.
Speaking to the powerful National Executive Committee (NEC), Mr Burnham said: “I can assure the NEC that, if allowed to stand and successful in the by-election, I would give my all to the subsequent Greater Manchester mayoral by-election. We have such a powerful story to tell of the change Greater Manchester Labour has brought to the city-region and I am confident we can win and take that success story to a new era”.
I have today written to the Chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee seeking permission to enter the selection process for a candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) January 24, 2026
Read my letter here.👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/TwKgADsuSB
Breaking: Andy Burnham confirms bid to stand as MP
Saturday 24 January 2026 17:06 , Holly BancroftMayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has confirmed he has sought permission to stand as Labour’s candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
Mr Burnham said the move was a “difficult decision” to make but pledged to run a “hopeful and unifying campaign”.
Analysis: Wes Streeting does nothing to ease fears over Labour control freakery
Saturday 24 January 2026 16:11 , Holly BancroftAs Labour MPs line up to warn Andy Burnham must not be blocked from standing in the by-election, the health secretary Wes Streeting has done little to ease fears over Labour control freakery, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.
Asked whether Mr Burnham should be allowed to stand, he told the Fabian Society’s conference: “This is a matter for the party, not the Cabinet, and I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that is my answer.”
Earlier Labour MP Chris Webb publicly warned Keir Starmer that blocking Mr Burnham would have “serious lasting consequences”, adding “When you’re 2–0 down at half time, you bring on the super sub to help the team win”.
Wes Streeting declines to say whether he supports Andy Burnham in bid to be an MP
Saturday 24 January 2026 16:06 , Holly BancroftWes Streeting declined to be drawn on whether Andy Burnham should be allowed to stand for parliament.
Asked whether Mr Burnham should be allowed to stand, the Health Secretary told the Fabian Society’s conference in London: “This is a matter for the party, not the Cabinet, and I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that is my answer.”
He said: “We have to work hard to earn people’s trust and to earn every vote.
“We want the best possible candidate for that by-election to join what is already a strong Parliamentary Labour Party.”
Adding that there was “obviously a big decision for Andy to make about whether he wants to be a candidate”, he said the party would have to “weigh up” the consequences of allowing Mr Burnham to stand, which would mean a mayoral by-election in Manchester.
More MPs publicly say Burnham should be allowed to stand
Saturday 24 January 2026 15:07 , Holly BancroftMore MPs have spoken publicly about their support for Andy Burnham’s potential bid to become the new MP for Gorton and Denton.
Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said: “If democracy means anything, Andy Burnham must be allowed to stand - and Labour HQ should be encouraging it.
“Blocking Andy to satisfy factional interests would be a serious mistake and would have long-lasting consequences”.
Dr Beccy Cooper, MP for Worthing West, added: “I’m proud to be part of our Westminster Labour team. If Andy Burnham wants to join that team, the people of Gorton and Denton should decide if he’s their next MP. Let’s stick to our values.”
Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, said: “Everyone knows Andy Burnham would have the best chance of beating Reform in Gorton and Denton.
“Fixing the selection to keep him off the ballot would be an affront to party democracy - and a sign nasty factionalism is a higher priority than reversing the rise of Farage and Reform”.
Labour Party top team should be begging Burnham to stand, Liverpool MP says
Saturday 24 January 2026 14:45 , Holly BancroftIan Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, has added his voice to a swell of MPs backing Andy Burnham to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Mr Byrne said on Saturday: “The Labour Party hierarchy should be begging Andy Burnham to stand. Keeping Reform out of Gorton and Denton is imperative.
“Those who have trashed our polling and hollowed out Labour’s base are now actively threatening Labour’s chances of winning this seat”.