Andy Burnham Would 'Probably' Have Won Gorton and Denton Byelection, Says Labour Deputy Leader
Labour's deputy leader has suggested that Andy Burnham could have won the Gorton and Denton byelection, as she called for her party to leverage the popular Greater Manchester mayor.
An Unexpected Result for the Greens
Overturning a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the last general election, a local Green councillor, a local plumber, was elected as the Green Party's fifth MP on Friday. This happened in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for nearly a century.
Reform UK's Matt Goodwin finished second, narrowly beating the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia.
Renewed Scrutiny Over Blocked Candidacy
The surprise result has prompted fresh debate of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month.
In an interview with the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "He likely could have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have gone after the seat in the same way that they did."
Powell was the only member of Labour's top decision-making body to vote in favour of allowing Burnham to stand, with the majority, including leader Keir Starmer, voting against.
Collective Decision
However, she stated she understood "collective responsibility" for the outcome, citing concern about triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester.
Powell also stressed that her party must learn from the reasons for Burnham's strong support in the region. She said people "view him as someone who is fighting for them, someone who is delivering those core principles and Labour policies."
"It is essential we draw on that, make use of Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and consider how we could replicate that success nationally," she added.
What Comes Next
Andy Burnham is understood not to have ruled out another attempt at becoming an MP again. A source close to him said, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never."
To date, Burnham himself has not publicly spoken on the byelection result. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has pledged to continue despite calling the poll result "disappointing."
Internal Reactions
Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is set to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes new laws on tougher immigration measures next week.
A source close to the Home Secretary was reported stating, "The party should not learn the wrong lessons from its electoral setback. The idea that we are losing Muslim voters over immigration is simply incorrect."
