Labour MPs turned on Keir Starmer on Friday over his decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the Manchester by-election.
The Prime Minister was left in no doubt at the anger at seeing his gamble backfire after voters deserted Labour for the Greens and Reform in Gorton and Denton.
While the Greater Manchester mayor was keeping his powder dry on Friday, Labour MPs queued up to say that he would have won the seat.
The Green Party leader Zack Polanski also revealed that he ‘punched the air’ when he learned that Mr Burnham had been blocked by Sir Keir and his allies on Labour’s National Executive Committee.
Polls suggested the self-appointed ‘King of the North’ would have won the campaign and that Sir Keir’s decision had come up repeatedly in focus groups.
Following the result, Labour MPs rounded on the PM over the decision to nominate Angeliki Stogia after claims the party could not afford a mayoral run-off along with May’s local elections.
Karl Turner, MP for Kingston upon Hull East, said he had ‘begged’ Sir Keir not to block the mayor, even if a seat in Parliament would have allowed him a platform to launch a leadership challenge, but the PM ‘didn’t listen to a word’.
He added: ‘Andy Burnham would have won that by-election without a shadow of a doubt.’
Labour MPs turned on Keir Starmer on Friday after his decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was blocked from standing as Labour’s by-election candidate by the party’s National Executive Committee
Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman said that Sir Keir ‘made a selfish mistake in blocking Andy Burnham from standing and it’s yet another example of him and his advisers making bad judgment calls’.
Leeds East MP Richard Burgon said: ‘Blame for Labour’s defeat lies squarely with Keir Starmer and his clique. They put factional interests over having the candidate best placed to win, Andy Burnham.’
Kate Osborne, the Labour MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, said the ‘blame for Labour’s defeat in Gorton and Denton sits with Keir Starmer and those running our party,’ adding that blocking Mr Burnham ‘was not only obviously a huge error but also showed just how weak [Starmer] is’.
A Labour peer added: ‘Andy would’ve won. Not everyone’s a fan but most people think you should stand your best candidate. They sleepwalked their way into this car crash and Keir gambled by blocking Burnham. He’ll pay the price for that.’
Mr Polanski said yesterday he was overjoyed when he learned Mr Burnham had not been selected, adding: ‘When Andy Burnham wasn’t selected I punched the air.’
Reform UK chairman David Bull said Labour had ‘made a very bad mistake’ in blocking the mayor, telling the Labour Party: ‘If you had fielded Andy Burnham, you would have won. Full stop.’
Following the result, Sir Keir was asked if he had been wrong to block Mr Burnham and replied that Labour had fielded an ‘excellent candidate’.