What subsequent for Andy Burnham after Keir Starmer defends blocking Westminster comeback

King of the North Andy Burnham’s hopes of a Westminster comeback were dashed by Labour’s governing body. Here The Mirror looks at whether the decision could be reversed – and what happens next

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Labour has been plunged into infighting over the last 24 hours after Keir Starmer’s decision to torpedo Andy Burnham’s chances of a Commons comeback.

Over the weekend the Greater Manchester Mayor sought permission from Labour ‘s governing body to run in the Gorton and Denton by-election. It was triggered after the suspended Labour MP Andrew Gwynne confirmed last week he was resigning from Parliament – leading to feverish speculation about Mr Burnham’s position.

But Labour’s ruling body – the National Executive Committee (NEC) – vetoed his candidacy on Sunday morning in a move that has led to a major backlash. It was announced today the by-election would be held on February 26.

What did Labour’s governing body decide?

The so-called King of the North announced his bombshell decision to put himself forward to run as Labour’s candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election on Saturday. Mr Burnham stressed he was hoping to back the UK government from inside the Commons, “not undermine it”.

READ MORE: Andy Burnham’s rise from ‘one of the lads’ to ‘King of the North’ power battleREAD MORE: Keir Starmer breaks silence on Andy Burnham decision as Labour anger grows

But less than 24 hours later, his hopes were dashed. A 10-strong panel of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to block him by 8 to 1 in a meeting that lasted less than an hour.

Keir Starmer personally opposed allowing Mr Burnham to run while Deputy leader and MP for Manchester Central Lucy Powell was the only person to vote in favour. The decision has led to an intense backlash against Mr Starmer from some Labour MPs.

How has Andy Burnham responded?

The Greater Manchester Mayor expressed his “disappointment” and promised to give his full support to whoever becomes Labour’s candidate. But in a warning to party bosses, Mr Burnham also said he was concerned about the decision and “its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us”.

Today, he insisted he was getting on with his work as Mayor of Greater Manchester. He also urged MPs to “come up to Manchester” ahead of the crucial by-election. He said: “We need your help. The Greater Manchester way is built on togetherness. We don’t ever here have a politics that’s about pitting people one from another.

“This is a place that is succeeding because of its commitment to people of all backgrounds working together for the common good, that is the Greater Manchester way and we want to preserve it. So, come and join us. Let’s get out there and celebrate what we’ve achieved in Greater Manchester in the by-election.”

What has Keir Starmer said?

The PM was on the defensive this morning after a backlash from Labour MPs. He told reporters Mr Burnham was doing a “great job” as Mayor of Greater Manchester – but allowing him to run for a Westminster seat would “divert our resources” from Labour’s campaigns in May elections.

Mr Starmer said: “We have really important elections already across England for local councils, very important elections in Wales for the government there, and very important elections in Scotland for the Scottish government that will affect millions of people.

“And we’re out campaigning on the cost of living, and they’re very important elections. We need all of our focus on those elections.”

He added: “Andy Burnham’s doing a great job as the Mayor of Manchester, but having an election for the Mayor of Manchester when it’s not necessary would divert our resources away from the elections that we must have, that we must fight and win, and resources, whether that’s money or people, need to be focused on the elections that we must have, not elections that we don’t have to have. And that was the basis of the NEC decision.”

Could the NEC decision be reversed?

Theoretically, it’s possible. But it appears unlikely at this stage. Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh called for the NEC to “change course and make the right decision”, adding: “Otherwise I think we’ll all come to regret this.”

There are calls for an emergency meeting of the full NEC, which includes around 40 individuals. This would include people and union representatives more sympathetic to Mr Burnham but the PM would still have a majority – meaning it is unlikely to overturn the move.

If the PM were to come under more intense pressure from loyalists – and possibly senior Cabinet ministers – there may be a U-turn. But there are no signs of that at this stage.

What will happen next?

Labour will press on with selecting its candidate to contest the by-election.

The party last won the seat at the 2024 General Election with a 50% share of the vote – but may face stiff competition to retain the constituency. Over the last year Labour’s polling has plummeted and rival political parties – including the Greens and Reform UK – are expected to pour resources into the constituency in the hope of delivering a major political upset.

If Labour loses, it will be a moment of major political danger for Mr Starmer and expect Mr Burnham’s allies to be furious.

He will be blamed for blocking Mr Burnham, who is considered one of Labour’s most popular politicians, and come under heavy criticism. If the party keeps hold of the seat, the PM will be able to breathe a sigh of relief – at least until the results of the elections across England, Scotland and Wales in May trickle in.

Could Andy Burnham seek another Westminster seat?

Again, theortically, yes. But this would require another Labour MP to resign – most likely in the North West – and trigger a by-election. Mr Burnham would then as he did at the weekend need to seek approval from Labour’s NEC. He may stand a better chance if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election and Mr Starmer’s position is weakened further.

But he is more likely to win the PM’s seal of approval for a Westminster seat once his term as Manchester Mayor draws to a close in 2028.