Andy Burnham Was 'Likely' to Have Secured Gorton and Denton Byelection, Says Labour Number Two
Labour's deputy leader has suggested that Andy Burnham could have triumphed in the recent Manchester byelection, as she urged her party to make more use of the influential Greater Manchester mayor.
An Unexpected Result for the Greens
Overcoming a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, a local Green councillor, a community tradesperson, became the party's fifth MP on Friday. This occurred in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years.
Reform UK's Matt Goodwin finished second, narrowly beating the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia.
Fresh Questions Over Candidate Decision
The surprise result has prompted renewed questioning of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month.
In an interview with the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "Andy Burnham likely could have held the seat. I think certainly the Greens wouldn't have targeted the seat in the manner that they did."
Powell was the sole member of Labour's ruling national executive committee to vote in favour of allowing Burnham to stand, with eight others, including leader Keir Starmer, opposing the move.
Accepting Responsibility
However, she stated she understood "the group's decision" for the ruling, citing concern about triggering a mayoral byelection in Greater Manchester.
Powell also emphasized that her party must draw inspiration from the sources of Burnham's strong support in the region. She said people "see in him someone who is on their side, someone who is delivering those Labour values and Labour policies."
"It is essential we draw on that, leverage Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and reflect on how we could replicate that success nationally," she added.
Future Speculation
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering another attempt at returning to parliament. One ally said, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be unwise to say he would never."
To date, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the byelection result. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on despite labelling the poll result "disappointing."
Party Response
Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a wake-up call" for the party.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is expected to warn against the party shifting leftward in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes legislation for stricter border controls next week.
An insider was quoted as saying, "The party should not learn the wrong lessons from its electoral setback. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is simply incorrect."
