Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has announced he is seeking to return to Westminster, confirming he has asked Labour’s ruling body for permission to stand in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
The move comes following the resignation of Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who stepped down on 22 January citing serious health issues. Burnham, who previously served as MP for Leigh for 16 years, submitted a formal request to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to enter the selection process, calling the decision “difficult” but necessary to defend what he described as “the Manchester Way”.
In a public statement, Burnham, 56, warned of a “direct threat” to Greater Manchester’s values from divisive politics. He said, “We are famous for our togetherness... and yet, there is now a direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other.”
As a sitting regional mayor, Burnham must secure express permission from Labour’s NEC before being shortlisted. If selected and elected, he would be required to step down as mayor due to legal restrictions on holding both roles, as the mayoralty also functions as a police and crime commissioner.
Burnham’s application is understood to have met a Saturday evening deadline for mayors, ahead of the full candidate list being compiled. The party is expected to confirm its preferred candidate after interviews take place.
Labour held Gorton and Denton with a 13,000-plus majority in 2024, although national polling shows a drop in the party’s support since then. If a by-election is called for 7 May – the same day as local elections – a mayoral by-election would also be triggered in Greater Manchester, at significant public cost.
Burnham served in several cabinet roles during his time as an MP, including Health Secretary and Culture Secretary. He was elected Greater Manchester mayor in 2017 and secured re-election in both 2021 and 2024.
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