Andy Burnham likely would have secured the Gorton and Denton by‑election, Labour’s deputy leader asserted while urging the party to lean more on the Greater Manchester mayor.
Labour slipped to third place in the formerly safe constituency on Thursday, as the Greens captured a fifth parliamentary seat and Reform UK finished second.
The outcome has sparked fresh scrutiny of the party’s choice to prevent Burnham from standing.
In an interview on the BBC’s Newscast podcast, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell remarked that Burnham “probably would have” retained the seat.
She added: “I’m convinced the Greens would not have pursued the constituency in the manner they did.”
Powell was the sole member of Labour’s national executive committee to support Burnham’s candidacy in Gorton and Denton, with eight colleagues, including Keir Starmer, voting against it.
Nevertheless, she told the BBC she accepted “collective responsibility” for the verdict, pointing to worries about a mayoral by‑election in Greater Manchester.
Powell also argued that the party should learn from the factors behind Burnham’s appeal in the region, noting that voters “see in him someone who stands with them, someone who enacts Labour values and policies”.
She continued: “We must build on that, utilise Andy Burnham, and also reflect on how we can improve our approach nationally and as a government.”
“And from my many conversations with Keir over the past weeks, both before and after this by‑election, I know this is something he is keen to pursue.”
Burnham has not yet responded to the Gorton and Denton result, while Starmer has pledged to press on despite the “disappointing” poll outcome.
At the same time, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to caution against a leftward shift in reaction to the by‑election as she prepares to introduce stricter immigration legislation next week.
A source close to the home secretary told the Times: “The Labour government should not draw the wrong conclusions from its recent by‑election defeat.
“The notion that we are losing Muslim voters because of immigration policy is simply inaccurate.”
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