Starmer allies launch Stop Burnham campaign with Labour civil war set to erupt over by-election
Members of the Labour Party's ruling national executive committee (NEC) have predicted that Burnham would struggle to make it through the selection process
The Prime Minister's allies have launched a campaign to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from returning to Parliament, after a by-election was triggered by a Manchester MP stepping down.
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Members of the Labour Party's ruling national executive committee (NEC) have predicted that Burnham would struggle to make it through the selection process, as the body is made up of a large number of Starmer loyalists who seek to avoid a leadership challenge.
Andrew Gwynne announced on Thursday that he will stand down as an MP for medical reasons.
He said he had suffered “significant ill health” over most of his parliamentary career and been advised by a GP that he would be unable “safely to return to work” in his job.
Since February 2025, Mr Gwynne has sat as an Independent MP following his suspension from the Labour Party over offensive WhatsApp messages.
The move triggers a by-election in Mr Gwynne’s Gorton and Denton seat, and has prompted suggestions that Mr Burnham – who has attracted speculation about his ambitions since last year – could seek to stand.
Read more: Returning to Parliament could be the biggest risk of Andy Burnham's career
Officials and MPs have warned of the financial cost and political risk of a mayoral race that would be triggered if Mr Burnham pursued his political ambitions.
The Greater Manchester Mayor's allies said that there would be discontent among MPs, trade unions, and party members if he were blocked from returning to Parliament.
The Fire Brigades Union general secretary, Steve Wright, said: “It would be a democratic outrage if Andy Burnham was blocked from seeking selection as Labour’s byelection candidate in this seat.
“In the event that a by-election takes place, as an affiliated union, the FBU will not stand by and allow senior Labour politicians like Andy to be carved out of this process. Our union will fiercely resist any attempts to stitch up the selection.
“It’s vital that there is a full and open democratic procedure to choose Labour’s candidate to fight this byelection. Anything less would be unacceptable.”
Mr Burnham, who has served as mayor of the region since 2017, has argued for a Westminster revamp and hit out at the current system of governing.
He has repeatedly refused to rule out challenging for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Sir Keir has previously dismissed talk of leadership challenges as “wasted” time.
Mr Burnham is one of the clear front-runners to replace Starmer if he is ousted as PM, alongside the likes of Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner.
His allies have said that Mr Burnham would only return to national politics if he felt he had something to offer.
One of them told The Guardian: “People want to paint him as scheming and plotting but that’s absolutely not where he is. He loves being mayor of Manchester. It would only ever be an option if felt he had something to offer."
If he were to pursue this, any subsequent mayoral race would cost the party about £500,000 which could be spent on other races.
One member of the NEC told The Guardian: “It is deeply selfish of Andy to want to run for this – costing us tens of thousands we don’t have and diverting activist resources when we are fighting other crucial elections. It is absurd beyond description and cannot be allowed."
There have also been concerns about Reform UK attempting to fill the mayoral role: “What if Reform won the Greater Manchester mayoralty? It would be totemic for them: their biggest win yet. We would be mad to let that happen."
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer said the party’s NEC would set out the process for selecting a candidate, adding Mr Burnham was “doing an excellent job as mayor of Manchester”.
Amid rumours of behind-the-scenes jostling for the Labour leadership, the Prime Minister also urged his MPs to remain focused.
He told Channel 4 News: “My message is to my entire party, and that is that every minute we waste talking about anything other than the cost of living and stability in Europe and across the globe is a wasted minute.
“I spend my time on the cost of living, the cost of living, the cost of living, and doing what I need to do internationally to ensure that we have a stable and safe environment for everybody in this country.”