Labour Party Turmoil As NEC Blocks Burnham Bid

Britain’s Labour Party, still reeling from a precipitous drop in support since its landslide general election win in July 2024, has been thrown into fresh turmoil after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) blocked Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, from standing in an upcoming parliamentary by-election. The decision, made on January 25, 2026, has exposed deep rifts within Labour’s ranks, with critics accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies of sidelining a potential leadership rival at a time when the party faces mounting challenges from both inside and outside its traditional base.

Burnham, who has led Greater Manchester since 2017 and whose current mandate runs until May 2028, announced on January 24 his intention to seek Labour’s nomination for the Gorton and Denton seat in Manchester. The seat became vacant following the resignation of its sitting lawmaker just two days earlier. The by-election, expected by the end of February, was widely seen as a safe Labour hold—at least until the party’s internal drama erupted into public view.

Labour’s NEC, a 10-member group including Starmer himself, voted decisively—by an 8 to 1 margin—to block Burnham’s candidacy. The party’s official explanation was pragmatic: allowing Burnham to stand would have triggered a costly and “unnecessary mayoral election” in Manchester, draining party resources at a moment when campaign budgets are already stretched thin. “Andy Burnham is doing a great job as Mayor of Greater Manchester,” Labour said in a statement, adding, “We believe it is in the best interests of the party to avoid an unnecessary Mayoral election.” The party cited not only the expense to taxpayers but also the impact on Labour’s own campaign funds.

But for many inside Labour, the move smacked of political calculation. Burnham, a two-time leadership contender who lost out to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 and has remained a high-profile figure among Labour’s centre-left, has never hidden his ambition to one day lead the party. He’s also been openly critical of Starmer’s more centrist approach, notably on economic policy. Last September, Burnham said he wanted to “launch a debate” about the party’s direction and how to defeat the rising threat of Reform UK—a right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage that now regularly outpaces Labour in some opinion polls.

Burnham’s disappointment at the NEC’s decision was clear. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “We are stronger together and let’s stay that way.” But his frustration soon bubbled over, as 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.” Burnham also voiced concern about the impact the decision could have on Labour’s fortunes in the upcoming May 2026 local elections, where the party is widely predicted to suffer heavy losses in Wales, Scotland, and across England.

The fallout has been swift and bitter. Critics on the left of the party accused Starmer of orchestrating the block to keep Burnham—dubbed the “King of the North” in a nod to Game of Thrones—out of Westminster and away from the levers of power. Labour lawmaker John McDonnell didn’t mince words, posting an open message to Starmer: “If you think it strengthens you I tell you it will simply hasten your demise. You could have shown magnanimous leadership but instead it’s cowardice.” Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh called the NEC’s move “incredibly disappointing” and urged the committee to “change course and make the right decision.”

Not everyone saw it that way. John Slinger, another Labour lawmaker, praised the “quick and clear decision,” arguing it would allow the party to “move on from the damaging introspection and psychodrama of the last week” and “pull together” behind a new candidate. For Slinger and others, the priority is party unity and avoiding distractions as Labour heads into a perilous electoral season.

Underlying the row is a broader malaise within Labour. Since its dramatic victory in 2024, the party’s poll ratings have nosedived, with many blaming a series of policy missteps directly linked to Starmer’s leadership. The party has struggled to deliver on promises of a stronger economy, better public services, and tighter borders—issues that have allowed Reform UK and the Greens to siphon off disaffected voters. The resignation of the Gorton and Denton lawmaker, which triggered the current by-election, even caused a brief selloff in British government bonds as investors speculated that Burnham—widely seen as favoring looser fiscal policy—could use a return to parliament as a springboard to challenge Starmer’s leadership.

Indeed, Labour’s internal rules mean that only sitting members of parliament can trigger a leadership contest. By blocking Burnham from standing, the NEC has effectively denied him the opportunity to formally challenge Starmer—at least for now. That calculation has not gone unnoticed among Labour’s rank and file, many of whom see the move as a pre-emptive strike against a charismatic and popular rival.

Burnham, for his part, has insisted he would be a “team player” and support the work of the government, not undermine it. Still, his record of independent thinking and his willingness to publicly challenge the party line have made him a lightning rod for both admiration and suspicion. His popularity in the North, especially among voters disillusioned with Westminster politics, has only added to his stature—and to the anxiety of those in Labour’s central leadership.

As the party braces for what could be a bruising set of local and regional elections in May, the Burnham affair has laid bare the tensions simmering beneath the surface. Labour’s dominance in Wales, unbroken since the creation of the Welsh legislature in 1999, is now at risk. In Scotland, the party faces an uphill battle to reclaim power, while in England, local elections threaten further setbacks. With Prime Minister Starmer’s own poll ratings at a low ebb, some insiders fear that a poor showing in May could trigger a leadership challenge regardless of Burnham’s current status.

For now, the party’s focus shifts to finding a new candidate for Gorton and Denton—one who can unite a fractious party and reassure voters that Labour is still fit to govern. Whether the NEC’s decision will heal divisions or deepen them remains to be seen. But as Burnham himself put it, “We are stronger together and let’s stay that way”—a sentiment that, for Labour, may be easier said than done.