Andrew Gwynne reportedly set to step down as Gorton and Denton MP amid renewed Burnham speculation

Thursday, 22 January 2026 11:49

By Ethan Davies, Local Democracy Reporter / Adam Clark

Andrew Gwynne is reportedly set to resign as the MP for Gorton and Denton nearly a year after the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp scandal broke.

For months, rumours have swirled Mr Gwynne was prepared to stand down to allow Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham the opportunity to return to the House of Commons, fuelled by speculation the mayor was preparing to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party.

It has now been reported that Mr Gwynne could resign after MP discussed the possibility of the Tameside politician taking medical retirement in February, which would trigger a by-election on May 7, the same date as local elections.

Mr Gwynne has not commented on the report. In September 2025, he said he was committed to serving a full Parliamentary term.

“In order to end the tedious speculation about my seat while I’m trying to recover from a period of ill health, it is my intention to serve a full term,” said Mr Gwynne. “The route to No. 10 is not going to be through Gorton and Denton.”

Speculation his term could come to an end this spring follows reports Mr Gwynne has agreed a deal with the House of Commons that would allow him to retire on medical grounds and receive his pension.

Should he resign, Andy Burnham faces a tough task to become the Gorton and Denton MP. Legally, the mayor cannot stand as an MP due to his role as a police and crime commissioner, suggesting Mr Burnham would need to leave his current role.

He then would need the backing of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to win the nomination, which has the ability to implement an all-female shortlist to block Mr Burnham’s bid.

Since late summer, the mayor has repeatedly refused to rule out a leadership challenge, something he can only do as an MP. However, on Thursday morning (January 22), he told BBC Radio Manchester he believed he could make a bigger difference for the north of England in Manchester, not Westminster.

According to YouGov, Andy Burnham is one of the few politicians not to currently have a negative net favourability rating among Britons.

Andy Burnham is one of the few politicians to not currently have a negative net favourability rating among Britons, as reports of a potential by-election in Greater Manchester fuel speculation of the Mayor making a return to Westminster

Favourable: 29%
Unfavourable: 29%
Net: =0 pic.twitter.com/CHpbILeOBh
— YouGov (@YouGov) January 22, 2026

Mr Gwynne was at the centre of a scandal which rocked British politics in February 2025.

Leaked messages from the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp group, which contained the MP and councillors representing wards in his old Denton and Reddish seat showed Mr Gwynne allegedly made anti-Semitic slights and joked about a pensioner dying before an election after she raised concerns about bin collections.

It led to Mr Gwynne and ex-Tameside councillor now-Burnley MP Oliver Ryan, and 11 councillors being suspended by the party. Tameside councillors George Newton and Jack Naylor, and Stockport councillor Andrew Verdeille were expelled from Labour after a six-month suspension, with Denton representative Claire Reid resigning from her post late last year.

Gwynne held the seat for Labour in the 2024 general election, with a 13,413 majority, Reform UK came second.

Andrew Gwynne’s office has been contacted for comment.