Keir Starmer's allies have launched a 'Stop Andy Burnham' campaign to prevent the Labour mayor from returning to parliament after the resignation of a Manchester MP triggered a byelection. Multiple members of the party's ruling national executive committee (NEC) predicted it would be impossible for Burnham to make it through the selection process given the number of Starmer loyalists on the body desperate to avoid a leadership challenge.
The Labour party machine sprang into action after the Guardian revealed on Thursday that Andrew Gwynne was planning to quit due to ill health, with officials and MPs warning about the financial cost and political risk of a subsequent mayoral race. However, allies of the Greater Manchester mayor suggested there would be significant disquiet among MPs, the unions and party members should the leadership try to block him from returning to parliament, where he served as the MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017.
Burnham has made no secret of his ambitions. He prompted outrage within No 10 and among cabinet ministers when he said in the run up to the party's conference last year that many MPs had urged him to run for Labour leader. He has long been believed to be seeking a return to parliament to stand for the Labour leadership if there was a challenge to Starmer, but was thought to have limited options for a byelection in the north-west of England.
The government will have to move the writ for a byelection, which two well-placed sources suggested was likely to take place before the May elections, meaning Burnham could be in place for any aftermath. But his allies have cautioned not to overstate the extent of planning that might be under way, suggesting that he was passionate about his current job and would only return to national politics if he had something to contribute.
Senior Labour figures told the Guardian that a 'Stop Andy' campaign was already under way, with the party machinery tightly controlled by Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's chief of staff, and his allies. The prime minister himself said on Thursday that the byelection process was in the 'early stages' and his MPs must stop talking about potential leadership challenges. Burnham, speaking before Gwynne confirmed he was stepping down, told reporters: 'People shouldn't rush to conclusions. I have been very focused on my role as mayor of Greater Manchester.'
