The Greater Manchester Mayor Would 'Probably' Have Secured the Recent Byelection, Says Labour Deputy Leader
The party's second-in-command has suggested that Andy Burnham could have triumphed in the Gorton and Denton byelection, as she urged her party to leverage the popular Greater Manchester mayor.
An Unexpected Result for the Green Party
Overcoming a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a community tradesperson, was elected as the Green Party's fifth MP on Friday. This occurred in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years.
The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin placed second, narrowly beating the Labour candidate, Angeliki Stogia.
Renewed Scrutiny Over Blocked Candidacy
The surprise result has sparked fresh debate of the party's choice to prevent Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month.
In an interview with the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "Andy Burnham probably would have held the seat. I think certainly the Greens wouldn't have targeted 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 eight others, including leader Keir Starmer, opposing the move.
Collective Decision
However, she told the BBC she understood "the group's decision" for the ruling, pointing to worries over triggering a mayoral byelection in Greater Manchester.
Powell also stressed that her party needed to draw inspiration from the sources of Burnham's strong support in the region. She said people "see in him someone who is fighting for them, someone who is implementing those Labour values and party pledges."
"It is essential we utilise that insight, make use of Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and consider how we could replicate that success nationally," she added.
Future Speculation
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering having another go at returning to parliament. A source close to him said, "Given the current political climate, who knows what might happen. It would be unwise to say he would never."
So far, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has pledged to continue despite labelling the poll result "disheartening."
Party Response
Angela Rayner, a prominent voice on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party.
In contrast, the Home Secretary is set to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as she introduces legislation for tougher immigration measures next week.
A source close to the Home Secretary was quoted as saying, "The Labour government should not misinterpret the message from its recent byelection loss. The idea that we are losing Muslim voters over immigration is just plain wrong."
