Andy Burnham's ambitions for a high-profile return to the House of Commons, seen by many as a potential challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, are likely to be blocked by the Labour Party's internal rules on gender balance.
Speculation Over a Comeback
The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been the subject of intense political speculation, with close allies suggesting he is ready to make a dramatic comeback to Westminster. Briefings over the weekend indicated he is pushing to secure a parliamentary seat before the critical local elections in May, a moment viewed as pivotal for Sir Keir's beleaguered premiership.
The seat of Gorton and Denton, currently held by the suspended Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, has been widely touted as a possible target for Mr Burnham. However, this plan is now facing a significant obstacle.
The Gender Balance Hurdle
Insiders have revealed that Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) would almost certainly insist that any vacancy be filled by a woman. The current balance of Labour MPs is 54 per cent male to 46 per cent female, creating internal pressure to improve gender parity.
One source on the NEC told the New Statesman bluntly: 'Gender balance in our party is much more important than boosting the ego of any single politician.' A senior Labour source was even more direct with the Daily Mail, stating that Mr Burnham stands no chance of getting selected.
They explained that the NEC holds 'all kinds of emergency powers' to control the candidate selection process, which would be overseen by general secretary and Starmer loyalist, Hollie Ridley. 'The current leadership would need to want Burnham to be candidate for him to get onto the shortlist,' the source added.
Internal Tensions and Leadership Woes
Mr Burnham publicly dismissed what he called 'rubbish' about his intentions following a Mail on Sunday report detailing manoeuvres by his supporters. Despite this, many MPs are convinced he is positioning himself for a potential crisis that could end Sir Keir's time in Number 10.
'There's a significant number of us livid that he's undermining the PM at every turn. He's overestimating his support at Westminster,' one MP told HuffPost. They pointed out that if Mr Burnham wanted to stand for Parliament, he had an opportunity to run in last year's general election.
The insider also contrasted Mr Burnham's approach with that of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has not made similar noises about seeking a seat, observing that Khan is 'probably more self aware than Andy'.
Meanwhile, the MP at the centre of the speculation, Andrew Gwynne – who is facing a disciplinary process over offensive leaked WhatsApp messages – has insisted he will not be standing down. He told Politico: 'I do wish if people are planning a coup involving me, they'd let me know.'
Sir Keir Starmer's troubles have been compounded by dire opinion polls and a poorly received Budget. Within the party, figures like Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are also seen as positioning themselves for a potential post-Starmer era, though rebels face the huge challenge of uniting 80 MPs behind a single challenger to trigger a leadership contest.
The Prime Minister's weakening grip on party discipline was further highlighted as serving minister Ian Murray launched a scathing public attack on his management. The Edinburgh MP revealed he still has received 'no explanation' for his demotion from the Cabinet in September's reshuffle and admitted he considered quitting altogether.
