Eamonn O’Brien applies for Labour selection in Gorton and Denton

Monday, 26 January 2026 20:44

By Adam Clark

Credit: David Murphy / Roch Valley Radio

The leader of Bury Council, Eamonn O’Brien, has applied to be selected as the Labour candidate for the Gorton and Denton parliamentary constituency, it's understood.

Councillor O’Brien has led Bury Council since 2020 and is a senior figure within Labour in Greater Manchester.

Several years ago, he reportedly had his eye on Bury South, until Christian Wakeford defected to Labour & automatically became Labour candidate for the last general election in 2024.

First elected to the council in 2014, he is the councillor for the St Mary's ward in Prestwich and, before he was elected leader, served on the council's cabinet with responsibility for finance and housing from 2017.

The by-election follows the resignation of Andrew Gwynne, who formally stepped down on health grounds last week.

A Labour selection panel was due to choose a longlist of candidates today, with interviews on Tuesday ahead of a hustings and final selection on Saturday.

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