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Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour's ruling body
Labour NEC barred Andy Burnham from the Gorton and Denton by-election in an 8-1 vote to avoid costly mayoral election and limit leadership challenge risks.
- On Sunday, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, was blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election after a 10-member Labour Party National Executive Committee officers group met at 11am and voted 8–1 against him.
- Because of a recent rule change, directly elected metro mayors must seek NEC approval before standing in Westminster elections, and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, applied on Saturday ahead of a 5pm deadline yesterday.
- Keir Starmer reportedly voted against Burnham's bid, while Lucy Powell was the sole officer backing him and Shabana Mahmood abstained, amid wider NEC complaints about the process.
- Labour now must select a candidate for Gorton and Denton as Greens and Reform weigh high-profile challenges, with Reform UK warning `This by-election is by no means a certainty for Labour, the Left-wing Greens will split their vote and we will be the challenger.`
- Andy Burnham's return has intensified debate about Sir Keir Starmer's future within Labour as the NEC faces a dilemma under the rule introduced after the last election, risking anger whichever way it rules.
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Starmer sees challengers everywhere – but blocking them makes him look weaker
Labour’s star chamber met to adjudicate on Andy Burnham’s hopes of a return to Westminster – and the result was a short, sharp end to the Greater Manchester Mayor’s hopes of a Commons seat, and a pulpit for a potential leadership challenge. By a crushing margin, Burnham’s aim of selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election in south-west Manchester was nixed. The King of the North has just suffered the polite version of the more full-on murder…
·London, United Kingdom
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Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, wants to go to the British House of Commons, but his own party is putting stones in his way, trying to prevent a split.
·Vienna, Austria
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources61
Leaning Left21Leaning Right9Center22Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 41%
C 42%
R 17%
Factuality
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