Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour's ruling body

By Labour's leadership, Andy Burnham has been refused to run as a candidate in upcoming parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton. Burnham, the directly elected mayor, had to request permission from Labour's national executive committee (NEC), after registering to run as a candidate on Saturday. Some NEC members were concerned about an expensive mayoral election to replace Burnham's replacement, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's allies were concerned that if he returned to Westminster, they might face a leadership challenge. The step is likely to enrage Labour MPs and others who said that local party members should have the option of selecting the Greater Manchester mayor as the candidate.

It's a big political gamble for allies of the prime minister and could also contribute to internal tensions within the group, which is consistently trailing Reform UK in national opinion polls.

They're putting the PM's whole premiership on the octagon of getting a very competitive by-election without their best candidate,

one senior Labour source who had been defending Burnham's candidacy said. It is madness.

The decision was made by ten members of the NEC, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and others on Sunday morning. She told the BBC that encouraging elected mayors to run as candidates in parliamentary by-elections had

organisational implications" for the party. According to several Labour sources, the NEC could refuse Burnham's candidature on the grounds that a mayoral election would be costly for the party. The taxpayer will also be paying for it, with the last mayoral election costing about £4 per person. 7m.