The Greater Manchester Mayor Was 'Likely' to Have Secured Gorton and Denton Byelection, States Labour Number Two
The party's second-in-command has suggested that Andy Burnham would have triumphed in the recent Manchester byelection, while she called for her party to leverage the popular Greater Manchester mayor.
An Unexpected Result for the Green Party
Overturning a sizable 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, a local Green councillor, a community tradesperson, was elected as the party's fifth MP on Friday. This occurred in an area that had elected Labour MPs for nearly a century.
The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin placed second, just ahead of the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia.
Fresh Questions Over Blocked Candidacy
The surprise result 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, stated, "Andy Burnham likely could have held the seat. I think certainly the Greens wouldn't have targeted the seat in the same way that they did."
Powell was the only member of Labour's top decision-making body 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 accepted "collective responsibility" for the outcome, pointing to worries over triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester.
Powell also emphasized that her party needed to draw inspiration from the sources of Burnham's strong support in the region. She said people "see in him someone who is fighting for them, someone who is implementing those core principles and Labour policies."
"We have to utilise that insight, leverage Andy Burnham, but also learn from it and consider how we could replicate that success across the country," she added.
What Comes Next
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering having another go at becoming an MP again. A source close to him commented, "Given the current political climate, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish 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 calling the poll result "disheartening."
Internal Reactions
Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, described the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party.
In contrast, the Home Secretary is expected to caution about the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes new laws on tougher immigration measures next week.
A source close to the Home Secretary was quoted as saying, "The party should not misinterpret the message from its recent byelection loss. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is just plain wrong."
