The news that Andy Burnham’s bid to stand in Gorton and Denton had been rejected arrived just after Angela Rayner had addressed the Labour North West Conference, stating that there should be no ‘stitch-ups’ and that local members should decide if he stands. She spoke right after Deputy Leader Lucy Powell said something similar,repeating the same message she had delivered at the Fabian Society Conference the day before. While the reaction at conference showed no sign of party civil war as described by some media, the events have highlighted deep disagreements and poor communication within the Labour Party.
How did they let this happen?
What’s concerning here is how two experienced politicians like Burnham and Starmer presented this so wrong. Public reaction broadly favours the idea that Starmer is protecting his position at all costs, and that blocking Burnham is simply part of that strategy. It adds to long-standing concerns that Starmer is authoritarian and unable to defend his position in a fair fight. Certainly, the fact that Labour briefed the press on the result before telling Burnham suggests a ruthless approach to the whole thing.
But that could be an unreasonably harsh take. While Starmer is on the National Executive Committee and inevitably influential, he is not making these rules or decisions alone, and Burnham was rejected 8-1. Starmer’s also gone out of his way to praise Burnham, pointing out his long-term support for the Manchester mayor, with some reports suggesting that Starmer has already proposed another opportunity for Burnham to stand.
There are also problems with Burnham’s actions. While there is widespread frustration with the NEC’s decision, there are also plenty of voices who were unhappy with Burnham’s attempt to run in the first place. Some point out that a seasoned politician like Burnham should have made sure he had the necessary support before putting his application in and publicly announcing it, though the letter of application Burnham released on X suggests he made efforts to do that. Others have concerns about how Burnham’s willingness to abandon his post as GM Mayor for what many think was a run at leadership will play with voters long-term.
Did Starmer see green?
There are, of course, other possibilities entirely. Perhaps this is not about Burnham or Starmer, but rather about the Greens. They were quick off the mark to capitalize on the saga, reinforcing their ambitions to replace Labour. It’s no secret that some parts of Greater Manchester are much more likely to go Green than Reform, and there are reports that the Labour government is increasingly seeing them as a serious threat.
However, leader Zack Polanski is not a sitting MP, and he never has been. When facing national elections it will be hard for the Greens to sell him as a potential Prime Minister when he has never been tested in Parliament. From a Labour stance there could be hopes that Polanski would demonstrate his shortcomings in Parliament should he stand and win in Gorton and Denton. While Starmer’s social media presence can’t compete with the ease Polanski has in front of the camera as a former actor, on the floor of the Commons it’s Starmer who should have the advantage. Additionally, the more firmly left-wing policies Polanski supports, such as the total legalisation of drugs and heavy taxation on wealth, are likely to meet with considerably more robust objections in Westminster than they have encountered in friendlier arenas so far. And if he doesn’t stand… well, why not?
Still, someone should’ve been discussing anything like this with Burnham before he went public.
Not a good look
Whether it’s a case of clashing egos and ambition, or sincere actions that have backfired in every direction, The Burnham Saga is not a good look. It’s hard to see how this is anything other than a mess of Labour’s own making, and the public are incredibly fed up with persistent political mistakes. After years of dealing with the consequences of self-serving leadership, wrangles like this don’t impress anyone, and with elections on the horizon this is a problem Labour could have done without.
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