Nigel Farage is looking to pick a "big name" candidate to stand in the Gorton & Denton by-election after Andy Burnham was blocked from running as Labour's candidate by Sir Keir Starmer.
Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) officers blocked Mr Burnham from standing in the by-election by eight votes to one, with the party's Deputy Leader Lucy Powell being the only vote in favour of letting the Greater Manchester Mayor stand.
Reform UK is now poised to pick a candidate who will scare off Sir Keir Starmer from campaigning in the area, insiders have claimed.
"It risks demoralising the Labour activists and the Prime Minister dare not show his face," a source told The Spectator.
Meanwhile, Reform MP Lee Anderson said: "The Labour faithful are now beginning to see the real Starmer.
"An authoritarian Prime Minister who will try and crush anything or anyone in his way.
"He’s allowed elections to be cancelled and now he’s cancelling members of his own party. Mark my words, he will be punished at the ballot box."
However, Reform UK's musings about the upcoming by-election came amid more ruptures emerging in Labour's civil war.
Mr Burnham yesterday said he was "disappointed” by the decision and "concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us".
In a statement on social media, the Greater Manchester Mayor said he would "return with full focus" to his mayoral job and urged unity in the face of "the divisive politics of Reform".
However, in a swipe at Labour, Mr Burnham claimed the NEC’s decision had been leaked to the press before he had been informed.
"That tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days," Mr Burnham added.
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WATCH: Crowborough residents call for Shabana Mahmood to RESIGN as they fume: 'Reform UK wouldn't do this!'
Keir Starmer blocking Andy Burnham is 'weak and cowardly' according to Labour Minister
A Labour minister has warned the decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election makes the party look "weak" and "cowardly".
They added the winner from the ongoing fallout was Health Secretary Wes Streeting, with reported concerns among allies of the Prime Minister that Mr Streeting might try to exploit the upset to move against Sir Keir.
One minister told The i that Sir Keir's blocking of Mr Burnham looked "weak, cowardly and another injury to an already broken man [the Prime Minister]."
They added: "Who wins? Wes."
Senior Labour minister says Andy Burnham is doing 'hugely important' role
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander on GB News
|GB NEWS
A senior Labour minister has said Andy Burnham is doing a "hugely important" role as he defended the decision to block him from standing in the Gorton & Denton by-election
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told GB News: "As the Labour Party we're facing critical elections in just 101 days.
"Yesterday officers of the NEC had to weigh in the balance specific rules in the rulebook about whether sitting mayors can stand.
"The reality is if he was successful there would be a by-election in the Manchester mayoralty.
"We need to be laser focused on those 101 days until taking those fights to Reform, the Greens, Plaid and the Scottish National Party.
"Andy's a great guy, he's not only someone I hugely admire, he's also a friend. You'll hear no criticism of Andy from me. He's doing a hugely important role in the mayoralty in Manchester."
Education Secretary issues plea to headteachers over mobile phone use in classrooms
The Education Secretary has written to headteachers in England, stressing that schools should be phone-free throughout the entire school day, it has been reported.
According to the letter, reportedly seen by the BBC and The Times, Bridget Phillipson said it was "not appropriate for phones to be used as calculators, or for research" both inside and outside of class time.
Last week, the Government issued updated guidance around phone use in schools, stressing pupils "should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons."
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said it will also be taking immediate action on children’s social media use, including directing Ofsted to examine schools’ mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented during inspections.
The letter said: "Schools should make sure those policies are applied consistently across classes and at all times and we want parents to back these policies too."
WATCH: Greater Essex Mayoral candidate hits out at Labour over delayed local elections
Could Reform UK's Gorton & Denton candidate be a former Tory?
At the last Westminster by-election, Sarah Pochin who previously served as a borough councillor in Cheshire East from 2015 until 2023, was chosen as the party's candidate for Runcorn and Helsby.
Ms Pochin was expelled from the Conservatives in 2020, after a bust-up over her candidacy to become mayor.
She went on to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes.
Out of the seven current sitting Reform MPs, four defected straight from the Conservatives.
Former Conservative Party Deputy Chair Lee Anderson joined Reform in March 2024, becoming the party's first ever MP.
Danny Kruger, the former Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, defected in September 2025, followed by Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell earlier this month.
Party leader Nigel Farage had joined the Conservative Party in 1978 but left in 1992 in protest at then-Prime Minister John Major's signing of the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht.
Over the past two weeks, the party has been teasing a Labour defection to the party, however this has yet to be announced.
Shabana Mahmood to axe non-crime hate incidents in ‘common-sense’ policing overhaul
Ms Mahmood said she does not want officers 'policing perfectly legal tweets' | PAHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to scrap non-crime hate incidents in their current form, insisting police must stop monitoring lawful social media activity.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Ms Mahmood said: "I don’t want them to be policing perfectly legal tweets. I want to make sure that they’re focused on the day job."
She stressed that officers should concentrate on "catching criminals, cutting crime and making sure people in our neighbourhoods feel safe."
"I want them out of the business of essentially policing social media. That’s not where they need to be," she added.
Labour backbencher slams 'weak leadership' as he demands emergency NEC meeting
A prominent left-wing Labour backbencher has called for an "emergency NEC meeting" as he accused the party leadership of being prepared to lose the Gorton and Denton by-election to protect "factional interests."
Richard Burgon, who is secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, said: "Keir Starmer and his clique have shown they’re prepared to lose Gorton and Denton to Reform, just to protect narrow factional interests.
"It’s weak leadership, and will only deepen the crisis the party is in. There should now be an emergency NEC meeting to resolve this mess."
Zack Polanski will NOT stand in Gorton & Denton by-election
Green Party leader Zack Polanski will not be standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Last week, there had been speculation that Mr Polanski, who was born in Salford, would stand as the party's candidate.
However, a Green Party source told the New Statesman the local party branch will democratically choose the the party's candidate.
Current polling for the seat shows the Greens polling on 24 per cent in the Greater Manchester constituency behind Labour on 29 per cent and Reform on 27,
Matt Vickers said Keir Starmer is a 'man scared of his own shadow' as Labour blocks Andy Burnham from by-election
Matt Vickers on GB News this morning
|GB NEWS
Matt Vickers has said Sir Keir Starmer is a "man scared of his own shadow" after Labour blocked Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton & Denton by-election
The Deputy Conservative Chairman told GB News: "The Government is in a mess, Keir Starmer lacks the leadership to take country forward.
"This is a party without a plan and without a direction. The reality is their chances of winning this by-election have gone down."
Decision to block Andy Burnham from standing was more 'focus than factionalism'
A Cabinet Minister said the decision to block Mr Burnham from seeking a return to Westminster was more about "focus than factionalism."
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander acknowledged Sir Keir Starmer’s role in the decision to block his potential leadership rival, telling Times Radio: "This was a decision, of course, that the Prime Minister was involved in, but was actually a decision taken by a subcommittee of Labour’s national executive committee (NEC)."
He said: "The judgment was more about focus than factionalism."