Starmer leadership rival Burnham blocked from seeking return to UK parliament

LONDON (Reuters) - British Labour Party politician Andy Burnham was on Sunday blocked from trying to return to parliament, with lawmakers on the left of the party accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies of a political move to keep out a potential leadership rival.

Burnham said he was disappointed at the decision but called for unity in the Labour Party.

One of the party's most high-profile politicians and an elected mayor in the northern English city of Manchester, Burnham said on Saturday he wanted to become Labour's candidate to replace a lawmaker who resigned on Thursday.

Labour is trailing in opinion polls to Nigel Farage's right-wing populist Reform UK ahead of bellwether local elections in May and has so far struggled to deliver on promises of a stronger economy, better public services and tighter borders.

In a decision likely to bring simmering tension within Labour to a fresh boil, Burnham was refused permission to stand by the party's National Executive Committee on Sunday, losing a vote of senior officers, including Starmer himself, by 8 to 1.

Blocking Burnham's candidacy denies him the chance of winning a platform from which he could have formally challenged Starmer, because only members of parliament can trigger a leadership contest.

"Andy Burnham is doing a great job as Mayor of Greater Manchester," the Labour Party said in a statement.

"We believe it is in the best interests of the party to avoid an unnecessary Mayoral election," the statement added, citing the cost to taxpayers - and Labour's own campaign funds - of carrying out an election to replace him.

Burnham responded by saying he was disappointed and concerned about how the decision could affect "the important elections ahead of us", referring to local elections in May.

But he also said: "We are stronger together and let’s stay that way," in a post on X.

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Such is the sensitivity over Starmer's future that the resignation last week of the lawmaker for Gorton and Denton in northwest England triggered a brief selloff in British government bonds.

Investors speculated that Burnham - viewed as favouring looser fiscal policy - could win the seat to rejoin parliament and position himself for a leadership challenge.

Labour's popularity has plummeted since a landslide election win in July 2024 and the party is split over the best strategy to restore confidence.

Left-wing Labour lawmaker John McDonnell posted an open message to Starmer on X after the NEC's decision: "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."

Burnham criticised Starmer's leadership last year but said on Saturday he had assured the prime minister he wanted to "support the work of the government, not undermine it".

Burnham ran unsuccessfully to become party leader in 2015, when he was beaten by Jeremy Corbyn.

He left parliament to become Greater Manchester Mayor in 2017 but has remained an influential figure for some centre-left groups within Labour, particularly those critical of Starmer's more centrist stance.