Andy Burnham has added a pointed postscript to his response to Labour’s NEC decision blocking him from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, saying the media was informed before he was.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said he was “disappointed” after Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to block his request to stand as an MP, but it was the final lines of his statement on X that set the strongest tone.
“The fact that the media was informed of the NEC decision before I was tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days,” he wrote on X.
“You would think that over 30 years of service would count for something but sadly not.”
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Burnham had requested permission on Saturday to stand for the seat, but as Mayor of Greater Manchester he needed NEC approval to contest a parliamentary election. Labour’s NEC voted to block him on Sunday.
The 10-person panel voted eight to one to block Burnham’s bid, with only deputy leader Lucy Powell backing him, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood abstained.
Sky reported that the prime minister was among those who voted against Burnham, alongside union figures and other Labour Party representatives.
Burnham’s potential return to Westminster had been seen by many as a possible future leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer, a dynamic that has fuelled wider claims of in-party squabbling and a growing divide between Labour’s national leadership and prominent regional figures.
In his main statement, Burnham sought to strike a more conciliatory tone towards Labour’s eventual candidate and local members, warning he was “concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us”.
“To whoever is Labour’s candidate and to our members in Manchester and Tameside: you will have my full support and I will be there whenever you need me,” he wrote.
He also said he would “return with full focus” to his current role as mayor, adding: “We are stronger together and let’s stay that way.”
However, Burnham’s criticism of the way the party is being run was disputed by Labour figures. Sky News reported that a Labour source told Beth Rigby the claim was “categorically untrue”.
“Am told the party attempted to contact Andy shortly after the meeting had concluded over the phone and then contacted him via email,” Rigby posted on X.
Labour has also publicly framed the decision around the cost and political risk of triggering a new Greater Manchester mayoral election. In a statement, the party said it wanted to avoid “an unnecessary mayoral election” which would use “substantial amounts of taxpayers’ money” and resources better spent elsewhere.
The statement added: “Andy Burnham is doing a great job as mayor of Greater Manchester.”
While MPs loyal to Starmer have defended the NEC decision, the move has prompted anger elsewhere in the party, with senior voices describing it as a “stitch-up” and a sign of deepening factional divides.
Andy Burnham’s statement in full
“I am disappointed by today’s NEC decision and concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us.
To whoever is Labour’s candidate and to our members in Manchester and Tameside: you will have my full support and I will be there whenever you need me.
Tomorrow I return with full focus to my role as Mayor of GM, defending everything we have built in our city-region over many years.
I decided to put myself forward to prevent the divisive politics of Reform from damaging that. We are stronger together and let’s stay that way. 💪🏻
PS – The fact that the media was informed of the NEC decision before I was tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days.
You would think that over 30 years of service would count for something but sadly not. 🤷🏻♂️”
