Burnham issues message to MPs after Gorton and Denton decision

Monday, 26 January 2026 11:58

By Ethan Davies, Local Democracy Reporter

Andy Burnham has issued a message to Labour MPs after his bid to become the Gorton and Denton MP this morning.

The mayor applied for permission to stand in the by-election on Saturday (January 24), triggered by Andrew Gwynne’s resignation on Thursday (January 22), which would have meant he would need to resign as mayor. However, his move was halted by Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which voted eight to one against his application yesterday (January 25).

Leader Keir Starmer voted to block Burnham’s bid, claiming ‘having an election for the mayor of Manchester when it’s not necessary would divert our resources away from the elections that we must have’. Burnham was ‘disappointed’ by the decision, but vowed to ‘return with full focus to my role as mayor’.

He made a series of public appearances on Monday, firstly at The Whitworth gallery where he joked: “I’ve read every single word of this report because I haven’t had anything else to do this weekend.”

Later in the morning, the mayor appeared at a Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) event on education via video call, from Oldham, where he took a similar tone.

Hosts welcomed him to proceedings by saying: “I do not think he needs any introduction. It’s all everybody’s talking about — what’s the secret of the MBacc?”

Burnham joked in reply: “That’s all everybody is talking about all over the country. I have read every single word of the CSJ report because I had nothing to do over the weekend.”

However, after repeatedly staying tight-lipped when asked about the Gorton and Denton race, he did break his silence when he was quizzed if he had ‘a message to Labour MPs’ amid turmoil in the party.

He replied: “I can’t do my sort of ignore it act again, can I? What’s my message to MPs? Come up to Manchester!

“There’s a by election about to happen. We need your help. The Greater Manchester way is built on togetherness. We don’t ever hear about a politics that’s about pitting people one from another.

“This is a place that is succeeding because of its commitment to people of all backgrounds working together for the common, good.  That is the Greater Manchester way and we want to preserve it.

“So come and join us. Let’s get out there and celebrate what we’ve achieved in Great Monster in the by-election.”

Previously, the mayor repeatedly said he has ‘said everything I am going to say about’ the bid.

The mayor’s week will be busy, as he is set to appear at several Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meetings. The first will be on Wednesday, before the overview and scrutiny committee.

On Thursday, he is expected at the Bee Network committee before chairing a full GMCA meeting on Friday.

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