Labour blocking my MP bid was hard to take, says Burnham

Andy Burnham has said it was "hard" to take Labour's decision to block him from standing as the party's candidate in a forthcoming parliamentary by-election.

The Greater Manchester mayor told the BBC he put his name forward to stand in Gorton and Denton as he believed he was "probably in a better position than anybody to fight back" against Labour's opponents, including Reform UK.

But Burnham said he accepted the decision made by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) and ruled out standing as an independent candidate.

The NEC cited the "disproportionate" cost to the party of a mayoral election to replace Burnham when it blocked his bid to stand as an MP.

Burnham, who has been viewed as a potential leadership rival to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, told BBC Radio Manchester: "It's hard when something like that happens, it's really disappointing."

He added: "What I was offering the party, I think, was an alternative path to the one that the party is now on.

"What I was saying to them was that I think, without being arrogant about it, because of what I've contributed to building in Greater Manchester, I was in a strong position to fight back this different type of politics that is trying to come in and trying to win our council seats and come into Greater Manchester in a big way.

"I believed I was probably in a better position than anybody to fight back against that."

Sir Keir was among eight NEC members who voted to bar Burnham from standing in the by-election, which will take place on 26 February.

Explaining the decision on Sunday, Labour said: "The NEC believes that causing an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester mayor would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources before the local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May."

It added while the party would be "confident" of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC "could not put Labour's control of Greater Manchester at any risk".

Burnham said he had wanted to assure the prime minister he "wasn't coming in to undermine him or the government, I was coming in to see if I could contribute".

Burnham added he had a "good conversation" with Sir Keir after he was blocked from standing.

He went on to criticise briefings against him and other elected politicians, adding "anybody paid by the public purse does not get licence to lie".

He said: "In the aftermath of all of this, I'm not going to be sort of bitter and I'm going to be out there campaigning in the by-election but I am going to call that one thing out.

"I have been 30 years in the Labour Party, it is a hard decision for me to take as I agonised over it but I believed I was making it in the best interests of Greater Manchester."

Burnham said "I accept the decision" made by the NEC, adding: "But the one thing I won't leave just there and not question is the kind of sense that some people can go out and impugn the character of elected politicians.

"Because it happens to the cabinet, it happens to ministers, so I'm speaking for all of those people down there as well as myself - this culture really does a major disservice to politics in this country."

On suggestions that he should stand as an independent in the by-election, Burnham replied: "No, I wouldn't do that because I meant it when I said I am team player."

The BBC has been told around 50 Labour MPs signed a letter to the NEC objecting to the decision to block Burnham, describing it as a "real gift" to Reform.

The 2024 mayoral election in Greater Manchester cost taxpayers about £4.7m to stage.

Labour won Gorton and Denton in 2024 with a 13,000 majority but could face a challenge to retain the seat, which is being targeted by Reform and the Green Party.

The seat in Greater Manchester is vacant after former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne stood down as an MP on health grounds.

On Tuesday Reform announced it had selected GB News presenter and academic turned activist Matt Goodwin as their candidate.

Other parties are yet to announce their candidates for the contest.