Ex-Labour minister sacked by Keir Starmer RESIGNS to pave way for Andy Burnham in crunch by-election

The Gorton & Denton MP had been left out in the cold by Sir Keir Starmer after he wrote that he hoped a pensioner who did not vote Labour would die before the next general election.

Despite Labour restoring the whip to Burnley MP Oliver Ryan, Mr Gwynne was forced to spend much of the time away from Parliament on sick leave and quit after reportedly striking a pensions deal.

In a statement, Mr Gwynne said: "It has been the honour of my life to have been an elected representative for almost exactly three decades, representing my home community firstly as a Denton West Councillor on Tameside Council and then in the House of Commons as MP for Denton & Reddish and more recently for Gorton & Denton.

"Over those years I haven’t got everything right and I’ve certainly made mistakes, but I’ve always tried my very best and I have helped tens of thousands of constituents with their issues along the way. Indeed it’s been helping people that’s given me the greatest pleasure in these jobs."

Mr Gwynne, who cited his Debt Relief legislation in 2010 and local campaigns as among his top achievements, added: "But I have also suffered significant ill-health over most of the 21 years I've served as MP, and this has been greatly exacerbated by the impact of last year’s events regarding leaked text messages.

"To those I upset, offended or angered, I sincerely and humbly apologise - they are not who I am - and to those who stuck with me and supported me though some of the most difficult mental health challenges of my life, I will be forever grateful to you. You probably saved my life at its lowest point."

The 51-year-old, who also served in Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet, concluded by wishing his Labour colleagues "every success in meeting our country's challenges head-on".

Mr Gwynne concluded: "All I ask now is that I am left in peace to be able to start the long process of getting well again, and to spend precious time with my family."

A by-election could be held on the same day as the 2026 Local Elections on May 7, sparking a potential leadership headache for the Prime Minister.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who remains in post until 2028, has repeatedly refused to rule out a return to Westminster amid growing speculation about his Labour leadership ambitions.

When asked if he would challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership last year, Mr Burnham said: "I'm not going to sit here this morning and rule out what might or might not happen in future - I don't know what the future will hold."

However, Mr Burnham today insisted he had been kept “in the dark” about Mr Gwynne's decision to step down.

"I’ve had no contact on this issue with Andrew or anyone close to him," Mr Burnham said.

"I know him of old, of course, but I’m as in the dark about this as anyone. People shouldn’t rush to conclusions.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister remained hesitant about who would contest the seat as Labour's candidate, instead maintaining the process is in a "very early stage".

Sir Keir added: "Andy Burnham is doing an excellent job as mayor of Manchester. We work very closely together.

"Last year, we were responding together to the terrible attack on a synagogue in Manchester. More recently, we were working together on Northern Powerhouse Rail.

"I think Andy would acknowledge that working with this Government has been much better than the experience he had of working with previous governments."

Mr Gwynne, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2005, returned to Westminster in July 2024 with an 18,000-vote majority over Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

However, Reform UK has made clear that it will target the Greater Manchester seat if Mr Burnham seeks a return to Westminster.

Mr Burnham, who previously represented Leigh in the House of Commons between 2001 and 2017, is not expected to romp to victory following a drastic shift in support since the 2024 General Election.

A recent MRP conducted by More in Common suggested Reform UK is currently polling at 30 per cent of the vote in Gorton & Denton, putting Nigel Farage's party two per cent ahead of Labour.

Meanwhile, the Green Party is also expected to turn the once-safe Labour seat into a three-way race, with the same survey showing support for Zack Polanski's party stands at 23 per cent.

While Sir Keir's support slumps in the polls, voters across Greater Manchester remain supportive of their two-time mayor.

Mr Burnham secured almost two-thirds of the vote in Tameside, which covers Mr Gwynne's seat of Gorton & Denton and Angela Rayner's constituency of Ashton-under-Lyme.

An Ipsos poll conducted shortly before Christmas also found Mr Burnham beats the Prime Minister in a head-to-head contest, with the Greater Manchester Mayor opening up a 13-point lead over Sir Keir.

Mr Burnham also established a marginal four-point lead over Mr Farage, with the Reform UK leader level-pegging with the Prime Minister.

Despite favourable polling for Mr Burnham, Labour insiders have warned party officials might be unlikely to put him forward for the potential by-election.

NEC members could even cite the gender balance of the Parliamentary Labour Party as the key reason for picking a different candidate.

Changes to Labour's 2026 rulebook would also force Mr Burnham to resign from his role of Greater Manchester Mayor to contest the seat.

However, Mr Burnham infuriated key figures in the Labour Party in Liverpool last September after being accused of mounting his most overt bid to succeed Sir Keir yet.

Following the Labour Party Conference, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has emerged as the favourite to replace Sir Keir, with Scottish MPs throwing their weight behind the Ilford North MP.

The Fire Brigades Union, which donated almost £1million to Labour in 2023/24, is putting pressure on Labour to select the Greater Manchester Mayor.

"It would be a democratic outrage if Andy Burnham was blocked from seeking selection as Labour's by-election candidate in this seat," the FBU's general secretary Steve Wright said.

"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 by-election. Anything less would be unacceptable."

A Labour Party spokesman said: "We look forward to local residents in Gorton and Denton soon having the opportunity to get the representation they deserve with a new Labour MP.

"While Reform fill their ranks with more and more Tories who failed the country, people living in Gorton and Denton will soon have the opportunity to elect a local champion and Labour MP who will be relentlessly focused on tackling the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists and bringing investment and jobs to the local community."

A Reform UK spokesman added: “If the by-election happens, then Reform will throw everything at it. It’s a huge ask for anyone to beat Labour in Manchester but we will give it our all.”