Greater Manchester MP ‘set to face down’ – so will Andy Burnham now return to Westminster to problem Keir Starmer?

A Greater Manchester MP is reportedly set to stand down – clearing a route for Andy Burnham to return to Westminster to challenge the Prime Minister.

Andrew Gwynne, a former health minister who had the Labour whip removed in February last year, is expected to make an announcement on his future soon.

If he quits the House of Commons, it will spark a parliamentary by-election in his Gorton and Denton constituency.

There has long been speculation that Mr Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, would contest a by-election in the North West if he wanted to return to the Commons.

The 56-year-old, who was MP for Leigh between 2001 and 2017 before being elected to the mayoralty, has been a fierce critic of Sir Keir Starmer.

He has repeatedly refused to rule out a bid for the Labour leadership, amid claims the Prime Minister could be challenged following his rocky first 18 months in No10.

Senior Labour figures are said to be braced for an announcement from Mr Gwynne, who has been away from Parliament on sick leave.

The Times reported that talks were held about Mr Gwynne taking medical retirement in February, so a by-election could be held on the same day as May’s local elections.

There has long been speculation that Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, could contest a by-election in the North West if he wanted to return to the Commons

Andrew Gwynne, a former health minister who had the Labourwhip removed in February last year, is expected to make an announcement on his future soon

Meanwhile, The Guardian said Mr Gwynne had now reached an agreement on his MP’s pension that would allow him to retire on medical grounds. 

Mr Gwynne, lost the Labour whip last year after the emergence of offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.

He was sacked as a health minister and suspended from Labour, while he was also put under investigation by a parliamentary watchdog.

Mr Gwynne said he regretted making the ‘badly misjudged’ comments and apologised ‘for any offence I’ve caused’.

The messages in a closed group chat with Labour figures based around Manchester reportedly included sexist, racist and anti-Semitic comments.

Mr Gwynne has previously denied that he was intending to vacate his Gorton & Denton seat any time soon.

Allies of Mr Burnham last month told the Mail on Sunday he was poised to secure a deal to fight a by-election to return to the Commons.

This would then allow the former Cabinet minister, dubbed ‘The King of the North’, to formally launch a challenge against Sir Keir if he could rally the support of MPs.

But there is no guarantee that Mr Burnham would be chosen as Labour’s candidate in a by-election – as Starmer loyalists dominate Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) – or that he would go on to win a contest.

Mr Gwynne won his Gorton and Denton constituency with a 13,000-vote majority at the 2024 general election, ahead of second-placed Reform UK.

But Nigel Farage’s party might now fancy their chances of winning the seat following a surge in their poll ratings since the general election, and a slump in Labour’s popularity. 

Asked on BBC radio about Mr Gwynne stepping down and clearing the way for Mr Andy Burnham in a by-election, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Andrew Gwynne was a member of my team in opposition and in Government.

‘I’m aware he’s had some very serious health challenges. And you know, for all of the other challenges he’s gone through and some of the difficulties he’s had, I wish him and his family well, and I hope he’s okay. His health has been a real challenge.

‘If indeed there is going to be a by-election, we need to make sure we’ve got a strong candidate, that we fight really hard to win that by-election, and we need our best candidates to come forward.

‘As to who that is, whether or not Andy will throw his hat into the ring, is for Andy to consider, and ultimately for party members to decide. But we need strong candidates.

‘I’ll just say about Andy, having just seen him just earlier this week, whether it’s in Government nationally, or whether it’s leading the city and the region locally, he makes a massive impact and makes a really big difference. He’s someone I’m proud to work with.’

In the days prior to Labour’s conference in Liverpool in September, Mr Burnham had suggested unhappy MPs were privately urging him to challenge the PM.

He then issued a fresh outburst against Sir Keir’s leadership in a fiery speech at a conference fringe event.

But – despite leaving the door open for a future leadership bid – Mr Burnham later backed away following a backlash against his posturing.

Speaking virtually on an Institute for Government panel this week, the Greater Manchester mayor appeared to criticise the missions laid out by Sir Keir’s Government.

‘You’ve got to go to difficult missions as well, haven’t you?,’ he said.

‘The mission to fix social care, the mission to end the housing crisis, the mission to end the cost-of-living crisis.

‘I think people buy in when the mission is really clear and it’s right in front of them and they understand it. That’s an important part of it.’

But Mr Burnham also added: ‘The Government has made a lot of progress, and I applaud them for it.’