Andy Burnham latest: Starmer warned to let Manchester mayor stand as MP or face revolt as deadline looms

Andy Burnham has long been seen as a potential rival to Sir Keir Starmer, writes Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

But he now faces a make or break moment on his leadership ambitions.

Failure to stand, or being blocked by Labour’s powerful ruling body from becoming the candidate, would surely be the end of his hopes of becoming PM before any general election.

But it is also a moment of high danger for Sir Keir. Already his deputy party leader has warned Burnham should not be blocked.

Claims of a ‘stitch up’ would fundamentally weaken the beleaguered PM’s position even further – with Labour MPs warning he could even face a leadership challenge as a result.

Jo White, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, took to social media last night to warn against a “London stitch up” in the Gordon and Denton by-election.

She wrote on X: “Let the North decide who their Labour candidate should be for the Gorton and Denton by-election. A London stitch up will be a disaster for Labour”.

Connor Naismith, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, had a similar argument, writing: “Gorton and Denton deserves the best possible choice of candidates. I agree with the prime minister that our attention should be on delivering for the public, not speculating about future leadership contests.

“Any decision made to limit the choice would be wrong”.

New year, new Keir. At least, that was the plan.

The prime minister started 2026 with a “promise of renewal” and a vow the UK would turn a corner after a dismal first full year in power. In a video released on New Year’s Day, he pledged to bring down living costs and get Britain “back on track”, in an attempt to rescue his relationship with disillusioned voters and his own disgruntled MPs.

Well, just over three weeks into the new year, it’s fair to say Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t started as he’d hoped. While the prime minister’s allies might claim his attention has been diverted by the ongoing international crises over Venezuela and Greenland, this year has started much like last year ended.

There have been more humiliating U-turns – on business rates for pubs and compulsory digital ID, Labour remains stagnant in the polls, miles behind Nigel Farage’s Reform, and murmurings about whether Starmer is the right man to lead the party have grown louder, write Kate Devlin and David Maddox.

Read more from our Whitehall Editor and Politics Editor here:

Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell appeared to warn against blocking Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election on Saturday, saying the decision should be left to local members.

Speaking at the Fabian Society’s annual conference in London, Ms Powell did not explicitly call for Mr Burnham to stand for the seat, saying he would have to make up his own mind.

She added: “It should be up to Andy and the local members who will select their candidate, and our members are very discerning.”

Speculation has surrounded a possible return to Westminster for the mayor of Greater Manchester since Andrew Gwynne announced he would resign as an MP on health grounds on Thursday.

Mr Burnham, who is widely believed to have ambitions to lead the party, is yet to comment on whether he intends to stand.

But if he does put himself forward, he will have to apply to Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) for permission to do so by 5pm on Saturday.

Reports have suggested that supporters of the Prime Minister on the NEC may seek to block his candidacy, either out of fear it would destabilise the government or to prevent another by-election for the Greater Manchester mayoralty.