Keir Starmer has defended Labour's decision to block Andy Burnham from standing for parliament, a move which has triggered a major backlash from sections of his own party. The prime minister said on Monday that he and Labour's ruling executive committee decided not to let Burnham quit as mayor of Greater Manchester to avoid triggering a costly mayoral election.
Speaking after a turbulent weekend in which eight members of the national executive committee (NEC) voted to block Burnham from standing in the 26 February Gorton and Denton byelection, Starmer sought to calm internal tensions. He argued that resources needed to be focused on upcoming local elections in England, Wales and Scotland rather than an unnecessary mayoral contest.
Starmer said Burnham was doing a great job as mayor but that holding an early mayoral election would divert resources away from other key elections. He urged the party to concentrate on fighting Reform UK rather than internal divisions.
Burnham said he was disappointed by the decision and predicted Labour would lose the byelection. The decision sparked fury among many Labour MPs, with one condemning 'petty factionalism'. Andrea Egan, head of the Unison union, said members would be 'disappointed and angry', while union sources discussed potential joint action to change the decision.
Senior Labour figures including Ed Miliband, Sadiq Khan and Lucy Powell had called for Burnham to be allowed to stand. Burnham complained he learned of the decision from the media, saying it revealed how the party is being run. Douglas Alexander accepted that confidential meeting details may have leaked.
