Andy Burnham blocked from re-entering parliament.

If Gorton and Denton return a Reform MP, it will not have the same impact on the government, because he or she won’t be in control of anything. I’m personally quite disappointed in Andy Burnham’s choices. He’s not a knight on a white charger, and even if he had won the seat, and been in a position to challenge Starmer there is no guarantee he would win against other contenders. He made a bad call.
I think Starmer made a bad call today too, he should have voted for him to be allowed to contend the seat, to show he was not afraid of Burnham challenging him.

Mamie

The disruption to Greater Manchester and the risk of Reform winning the Mayoral election seem to be the main reasons cited. I do think it is important to look at the bigger picture. Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky. Plus the fact that the last thing the Government needs is for media and social media to ignore serious national and international issues in favour of toxic gossip about leadership campaigns.

Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky.

Of course, there could be a different reaction and Gorton and Denton could return a Reform MP.

Does Starmer's vote means he has performed yet another U turn? Didn't he say some time ago that the Executive should not have this power?

fancythat

Is there anyone anywhere who likes Sir Kier Starmer as Labour Leader now?
Either a Labour voter or a non Labour voter?

He is still up there in the Best Prime Minister for the UK polls carried out by YouGov every month, so yes, there are many people who still think so, I think it’s his performance on the international relations side that is protecting his popularity.

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 17:10:15
Anniebach
Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?
Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again

Corbyn gave us the worse general election defeat since 1835,
Burnham lost to Milliband too, so twice

Phew… really glad. Andy Burnham is good looking and a lot of women would have voted for him, shallow I know but still ……

Is there anyone anywhere who likes Sir Kier Starmer as Labour Leader now?
Either a Labour voter or a non Labour voter?

Fallingstar

Reform still have a sizeable following but will be losing some of their fans who may be watching what is happening over the pond and feeling a bit uneasy about what could happen here. Controlling immigration is one thing but controlling ordinary citizens by taking away their rights is very much another.
The greens are gaining in popularity by offering what Labour seems to have forgot.
Tbh the left could be due a resurgence which would be a real surprise for everyone expecting the far right to gain ground.

I could be interested in the Greens if not for their anti-female agenda. Zack Polanski firmly believes that a woman is anyone who says they are female, and that women's spaces can include men if men want to use them. That is a step too far for me.

I had hoped that Burnham would be allowed to stand - this feels so anti-democratic, but Starmer has form for blocking rivals and anyone who doesn't fit his rather narrow vision of what Labour should be.

I voted Labour in the 2019 GE. There was very little in their manifesto that wasn't achievable. It was a perfectly OK manifesto. No 'promises of the earth'.

I voted Labour in 2024. I really feel that we were completely fooled.

Fallingstar

Anniebach

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?

Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again.

The young who did manage to get up to vote voted because he promised them everything on a plate. They were also hyped up at Glasto when they were all stoned and wailing “ooh Jeremy Corbyn”. 🤣

It’s being said that this is Starmer’s biggest mistake yet!

Anniebach

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?

Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again.

Reform still have a sizeable following but will be losing some of their fans who may be watching what is happening over the pond and feeling a bit uneasy about what could happen here. Controlling immigration is one thing but controlling ordinary citizens by taking away their rights is very much another.
The greens are gaining in popularity by offering what Labour seems to have forgot.
Tbh the left could be due a resurgence which would be a real surprise for everyone expecting the far right to gain ground.

The big elephant in the room for Labour seems to be their perceived will and inability to tackle immigration issues,
I can see Right wing removal tactics coming to a city near you soon.
Monkey see, monkey do.

IMHO, it comes down to Burnham's pragmatism and grass-roots connection to the people versus the PM's mix of lack of any charisma and outright peevishness towards Burnham.

Reform have been pretty much handed this seat.

I like AB and he has been done a favour.
He would have lost at Gorton and really been out in the cold.

Also,who in their right mind would want to be leader of Labour at this moment of time.

Keep steady with what you have Mr.Burnham and try to keep Reform out of Manchester.

Just not the right time for Andy Burnham to be a distraction within the Labour Party I feel.

If he wants to return as an MP I’m sure he will be allowed in nearer the next General Election, though Manchester will be sad to see him go.

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?

Fallingstar

It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

And a very large number of former Labour members and Labour voters feel disaffected.

Reform seems to be losing a bit of its attraction at the moment, but it could well revive and The Greens are attracting a great deal of interest. I think that most of the 'disaffected' will go leftwards.

It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

It probably isnt in Starmers interest for Burnham to be an MP, and they will use every device to stop him.

Mamie

The disruption to Greater Manchester and the risk of Reform winning the Mayoral election seem to be the main reasons cited. I do think it is important to look at the bigger picture. Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky. Plus the fact that the last thing the Government needs is for media and social media to ignore serious national and international issues in favour of toxic gossip about leadership campaigns.

I agree.

The disruption to Greater Manchester and the risk of Reform winning the Mayoral election seem to be the main reasons cited. I do think it is important to look at the bigger picture. Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky. Plus the fact that the last thing the Government needs is for media and social media to ignore serious national and international issues in favour of toxic gossip about leadership campaigns.

A few facts:

A sub-group of the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC), effectively the ruling leadership group of the party, met on 25 January 2026 to decide whether Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham could be allowed to seek Labour’s nomination as a candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.

As a directly elected mayor, Burnham was required under party rules to seek NEC permission before being put forward as a parliamentary candidate, hence the vote took place before any member ballot or local selection process. The committee voted 8 to 1 against allowing him to proceed.

The main formal justification emphasised in official statements was:
Avoiding an “unnecessary mayoral election” in Greater Manchester if Burnham were elected MP, which would trigger a separate vote to replace him as mayor. The NEC said such an election would use substantial amounts of public money and party resources at a time when the party wants to focus on the cost-of-living crisis and campaigning in upcoming local, Scottish and Welsh elections. They argued that even if Labour would be confident of holding the mayoralty, risking control of Greater Manchester was not in the party’s best interests.

This was the official, public line given by the party when announcing the NEC’s decision.

One good thing about this decision, though, is that if Andy Burnham remains as mayor, there is less chance of Reform winning the mayoralty, when the next vote comes around.
I would hate to see a Reform mayor here.

Sorry, mistyped "and even if he does it could irrevocably weaken the party"