The Greater Manchester Mayor Would 'Probably' Have Secured the Recent Byelection, States Labour Deputy Leader
The party's second-in-command has indicated that Andy Burnham could have triumphed in the Gorton and Denton byelection, while she called for her party to leverage the popular Greater Manchester mayor.
An Unexpected Result for the Greens
Overcoming a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a community tradesperson, was elected as the party's fifth MP on Friday. This happened in an area that had elected Labour MPs for almost one hundred years.
Reform UK's Matt Goodwin placed second, just ahead of the Labour candidate, Angeliki Stogia.
Fresh Questions Over Blocked Candidacy
The unexpected outcome has prompted renewed questioning of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month.
Speaking to the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "Andy Burnham probably would 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 told the BBC she understood "the group's decision" for the outcome, citing concern about necessitating a separate election in Greater Manchester.
Powell also stressed that her party needed to learn from the sources of Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "view him as someone who is fighting for them, someone who is implementing those core principles and party pledges."
"It is essential we utilise that insight, make use of Andy Burnham, but also learn from it and reflect on how we could replicate that success nationally," she added.
Future Speculation
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering having another go at returning to parliament. A source close to him commented, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never."
So far, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the byelection result. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on despite labelling the poll result "disappointing."
Internal Reactions
Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, described the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is set to warn against the party shifting leftward in response to the defeat. This comes as she introduces legislation for stricter border controls next week.
An insider was reported stating, "The Labour government should not misinterpret the message from its recent byelection loss. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is simply incorrect."
