MANCHESTER, England (CN) - U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing backlash for blocking popular politician Andy Burnham from running in a by-election, cutting off the Greater Manchester mayor's route back to Parliament and his ability to challenge Starmer's leadership.

The move keeps one of center-left Labour's most well-liked figures out of the House of Commons just as the party heads into high-stakes May elections across England, Wales and Scotland while under pressure from the rising right-wing Reform Party.

Committee votes against Burnham

On Thursday, Labour's Andrew Gwynne stood down as member of Parliament for Gorton and Denton after suffering "significant ill health," triggering a special election in a seat Labour has long held.

That gave Burnham, who left Parliament in 2017 to become mayor of one of the U.K.'s largest cities, until Saturday to decide whether to run.

Because he holds elected office, he needed approval from Labour's National Executive Committee, known as the NEC.

On Sunday, the committee voted 8-1 to block him, with Starmer among those voting no.

Burnham's leadership ambitions have been open. Last year, he said Labour lawmakers had urged him to challenge Starmer. But under party rules, only sitting members of Parliament can run for leader.

PM defends the decision 

Starmer said the party could not risk triggering a mayoral election in Greater Manchester if Burnham left his post.

"We have really important elections already across England for local councils, very important elections in Wales for the government there and very important elections in Scotland for the Scottish government that will affect millions of people," Starmer said. "We need all of our focus on those elections."

Starmer added: "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," he said.

Labour officials have warned that a snap race to replace Burnham could cost millions and be won by Reform following a toxic campaign. 

Burnham expressed his disappointment in the decision, suggesting Labour is now more likely to lose the vacant seat in Parliament.

He added: "The fact that the media was informed of the NEC decision before I was tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days."

Labour losing support

The Labour government has slipped in the polls since it took office in July 2024.

Its planned welfare and public spending cuts, stance on Israel's war in Gaza and strong focus on immigration have left many supporters and lawmakers disillusioned. Those shifts have given the anti-immigration Reform party space to grow.

The Burnham decision has widened internal divisions.

Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander said it avoided "months of psychodrama" and said Labour was "fully committed" to winning the by-election.

Labour lawmaker Nadia Whittome said senior figures were "putting petty factional maneuvering and settling personal scores above winning elections."

Former deputy leader Harriet Harman said she was "slightly baffled" Burnham had chosen to run and urged Starmer to "bring the party together."

Clive Lewis, another Labour lawmaker, said the party had taken the choice away from local members.

Blocking Burnham from running "is a serious political and democratic error," he said. "At a time of deep public cynicism, Labour should be expanding democratic choice, not restricting it."

Paula Barker, a Labour member of Parliament, said Burnham's exclusion raised doubts about the party's internal culture.

"The idea that someone of his caliber could be excluded in this way raises serious questions about transparency, fairness and the health of our internal democratic processes," she said.

King of the North

Burnham has built his national profile on his record as mayor of Greater Manchester, a role that has earned him the British press nickname "King of the North."

Since taking office, he has brought much of the region's bus network back under public control, reversing decades of private operation and giving local authorities more say over routes and fares.

During his tenure, Greater Manchester has been one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.K. economy, with growth running ahead of most other regions.

He has used his rising political capital to increasingly challenge Starmer's government.

In the run-up to the Labour conference in late September 2025, Burnham laid out his vision for the country in a number of media interviews.

He called for a "wholesale change" to see off an "existential" threat to Labour, calling Starmer's approach "a very factional and quite divisive running of the Labour party."

Criticizing the "old way of doing things in Westminster with minimal change," he described his politics as "aspirational socialism" that includes public control of housing, energy, water and public transport.

He also argued the U.K. was too reactive to short-term investor sentiment, which is constraining greater public investment.

Burnham also admitted that Labour lawmakers have urged him to run for leader, which caused an outcry among Starmer loyalists.

But under party rules, only members of Parliament can stand. The Manchester by-election was his route back. It is now currently closed.

What members and voters think

A recent poll of Labour members found 66% said leadership should allow Burnham to run. In a hypothetical leadership race, 48% backed Burnham, compared with 26% for Starmer.

A YouGov survey in December 2025 found Burnham was the most favorably viewed political figure among the public - level with Reform leader Nigel Farage and 11% higher than Starmer.

"Continued my Labour Party membership despite everything but this could be the last straw for me," said Malcolm, a member in northeast England on social media.

Ann, a voter in Manchester, disagreed. "Wanting to leave his post of mayor shows signs of disloyalty and personal ambition," she posted.

With Labour heading into critical elections across Wales, Scotland and England in May, the fallout from blocking Burnham may rumble on for months.

Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.

Source: Courthouse News Service