ANDY Burnham has been blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, sources close to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) have said.
NEC sources told the Press Association there had been a “very clear majority” against allowing Burnham to apply for selection in the seat due to concerns about the cost of fighting a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester.
It comes after months of speculation that Burnham was preparing for a leadership contest, widely being seen as a contender to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
It was understood that he was seeking to stand in the by-election so he could capitalise on the expected fall-out from the May elections, where voters will go to the polls in Scotland to elect MSPs, England to elect local councillors, and in Wales MS's for the Senedd.
The decision has been criticised by the SNP who accused Labour of being embroiled in "civil war". They branded Starmer as "weak" for blocking a potential leadership challenge from Burnham.
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Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, said: "Keir Starmer has today confirmed what the public already knew - he is weak.
“Despite his best efforts to cling to power today, the Scottish public will still usher him from office and put him out of his misery in May.
“Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is engulfed in a brutal civil war with Anas Sarwar stuck on the sidelines waiting to be told what to do next.
“On 7th May, Scotland can sack Keir Starmer by voting SNP and unite behind the strong leadership of John Swinney that is focussed on the priorities of the people of Scotland – the cost of living crisis, our NHS and offering our people a fresh start through independence.”
With Burnham out of the running, the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) are now viewing the by-election as a standoff against Reform UK.
Zack Polanski said: "I've said for many months now that we're not here to be disappointed with Labour, but to replace them.
"As days pass and Labour seemingly finds new ways to disappoint people, I remain focused on growing the Green Party. At the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton, it's become clear that the Greens are the only progressive party capable of taking on and beating Reform.
"We already have activists on the ground, and we welcome any friends in Labour to support our campaign to keep Reform out of Manchester's politics. Let's go!"
The decision to block Burnham's bid was made by a 10-strong sub-group of the NEC, chaired by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, on Sunday morning.
Mahmood appeared on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg earlier in the day, praising the Manchester mayor. She refused to be drawn on what her vote would be, saying it would impact the wider panel's decision.
On the show, the Home Secretary called Burnham an "exceptional politician" and said that she believed his claim that he was not hoping to oust Starmer.
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Blocking Burnham is likely to provoke anger from some parts of the Labour Party after several senior figures called for local members to have the final say on whether he should stand.
They included deputy leader Lucy Powell, herself an NEC member, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who had both told a conference in London on Saturday that the decision should be left to members.
It is understood that of the nine voting NEC members, eight voted to block Burnham. The only vote in favour was from Powell.
Burnham has not yet commented on the decision.
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