ANDY Burnham today insisted his by-election bid was about “fighting Reform” — not “undermining” Sir Keir Starmer.
In his first interview since being blocked from standing in Gorton and Denton, the Mayor said he was “uniquely positioned” to take on — but has “accepted” Labour’s National Executive Committee decision to bar him.
Andy Burnham was blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-electionCredit: PA
He told Manchester: “I did ask to speak to the Prime Minister, because I wanted to assure him of something I put in the letter that supported my application, and it was that I wasn’t coming in to undermine him or the Government.
“I was coming in to see if I could contribute, because some of the things I know are holding Greater Manchester back are problems at that level.”
Sir Keir insisted this week the move was about avoiding an unnecessary mayoral election.
But it also served as a strategic block on the Manchester Mayor using a Commons seat to quietly fuel a leadership push.
Mr Burnham said he put himself forward after the by-election was called because he “can’t ignore events going on more broadly”.
He added: “What we’ve built here in Greater Manchester is really special,” he said. “In my view the of Reform threaten that and put it at risk, it’s all about pitting people against each other and causing division… that was a persuasive factor in putting my name forward.”
Mr Burnham revealed he has since spoken to Sir Keir by phone, describing a “fair exchange”.
The PM now faces a precarious moment, with 50 backbench MPs having signed a letter slamming the barring.
Labour is set to unveil its by-election candidate on Saturday.
Earlier this week Reform announced presenter Matt Goodwin would stand for Mr Farage’s party.
Bookies have framed the contest, set for February 26, as a two-horse race between Reform and the Greens.
Labour is expected to bleed Muslim votes as Zack Polanski’s party run on a pro-Gaza ticket.
Meanwhile, Reform has surged in popularity locally.
The result will carry huge implications for the PM, with left-wing critics hunting for routes to trigger a leadership contest.
It will also set the scene for May 7 — another flash point for the PM, with bad results paving the way for more attempted coups.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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