Keir Starmer's allies BLOCK Labour leadership rival Andy Burnham's return to Parliament

Just one committee member was in favour, the party's deputy leader Lucy Powell, while the NEC chairman, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, abstained.

In a statement, Labour said: "The NEC believes that causing an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester Mayor would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources ahead of the local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May.

"Although the Party would be confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC could not put Labour’s control of Greater Manchester at any risk.

"Andy Burnham is doing a great job as Mayor of Greater Manchester. We believe it is in the best interests of the party to avoid an unnecessary Mayoral election which would use substantial amounts of taxpayers’ money and resources that are better spent tackling the cost of living crisis.

"We look forward to fighting and winning the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton and the positive campaign ahead which will be firmly focussed on tackling the cost of living and bringing investment to the local area."

Mr Burnham had confirmed on Saturday he intended to run to be an MP in the Commons seat.

The Prime Minister is said to have "led from the front" on discussions to block him. The Sun reports Sir Keir noted that Mr Burnham promised to serve a full term two years ago and they cannot justify spending more taxpayers' money on an "unnecessary" mayoral race.

The decision to block him from standing is likely to spark huge backlash from within Labour.

Mr Burnham is a popular figure within the party. Ed Miliband welcomed his candidacy, saying he had done "an outstanding job" as mayor and would be "a massive asset" in Parliament.

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"My view about this is Keir needs the best possible team serving under him in Parliament," the Energy and Net Zero Secretary added.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was also said to be against blocking Mr Burnham, while the current deputy, Mrs Powell, was the sole NEC member to vote in favour of the Greater Manchester Mayor.

Mr Gwynne won the seat with 51 per cent of the vote in 2024, but now Labour face a tough fight to keep it given their collapse in the polls and now the blocking of Mr Burnham.

There are reports suggesting Reform UK's Zia Yusuf and vetaran politican George Galloway could also stand.

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester Council since 2021, Julia Reid Manchester Council Executive member, Jon Ashworth, who lost his Leicester seat in 2024, David Miliband and Ed Balls have all been reported to be on Labour's shortlist for the seat.

In a letter to the NEC on Saturday, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who would have been forced to leave his current role should he had stood and won the seat, confirmed his intentions to stand in Gorton and Denton.

He said there now is a "direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other".

"It brings with it a poison we should not let enter our city-region," he added. "I see this by-election as the frontline of that fight for the Manchester Way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved."

He continued saying Manchester needs changes on a "national level", explaining this is why he "needs to go back" to Westminster.

Mr Burnham, a Health Secretary under Gordon Brown and long considered one of Sir Keir's biggest leadership challengers, said he would "support the work of the Government, not undermine it, and I have passed on this assurance to the Prime Minister".

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