Labour MPs are in open revolt against Sir Keir Starmer after he oversaw a “stitch-up” that blocked Andy Burnham from returning to Parliament , reports The Telegraph.
Loyalists on the ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) voted on Sunday to bar the Mayor of Greater Manchester from standing in an upcoming by-election, preventing him from becoming an MP and potentially challenging the Prime Minister’s leadership.
Sir Keir’s allies claimed they did not want Mr Burnham to run for the Gorton and Denton seat because it would lead to a contest for the mayoralty that Reform could win.
Backbenchers demand U-turn as civil war erupts
But the move unleashed a civil war as furious backbenchers demanded another about-turn from the Prime Minister.
It was described as “completely outrageous”, “disgusting”, a “huge mistake” and “incredibly disappointing” by Labour MPs, many of whom went public with their anger.
A letter circulating among backbenchers claimed that the decision amounted to a “remote stitch-up from a small group of people at the very top in London”.
It is understood that Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister and a leading figure on the Left of the party, also considers the decision to be a mistake.
Mr Burnham said he was disappointed and suggested the ban would harm Labour’s election chances.
He also criticised the NEC for telling reporters the outcome before him, adding: “You would think that over 30 years of service would count for something but sadly not.”
Rebels gather signatures to force rethink
But while Mr Burnham himself appeared to accept the decision on Sunday night, supportive Labour MPs were plotting to force the Prime Minister to reconsider.
Rebels are gathering signatures for a letter which demands a full meeting of the NEC to “re-evaluate” the decision, with dozens of MPs expected to add their names.
The letter warned that losing the by-election would be “unimaginable… blocking [Mr Burnham] from even making his case to local members risks sending a message that the party does not respect devolution.”
It added: “It risks telling our own local members that we do not trust them to make the important decision on who is best placed to fight this election for them and serve as the next MP…
“Denying our local members real choice and a chance to exercise their democratic voice only reinforces the idea that politics is a remote stitch-up from a small group of people at the very top in London.”
The proposal was dismissed out of hand by No 10. Asked if the NEC could think again, one Starmer ally told The Telegraph: “No. It’s done.”
Decision ties PM’s credibility to by-election result
Both Sir Keir and Mr Burnham are expected to speak on Monday, with the Prime Minister talking about the cost of living and the Greater Manchester Mayor attending a think tank panel on Britain’s worklessness crisis.
While the move in theory leaves Sir Keir more protected, since only MPs can become Labour leader and Mr Burnham is now locked out of the Commons, critics argued it revealed the weakness of his current position.
The move also ties Sir Keir’s credibility to the result of the Gorton by-election. If Reform or the Green Party wins the seat, the Prime Minister is likely to face widespread criticism for blocking Mr Burnham, who is popular in the region.
Karl Turner, a Labour MP on the centrist wing of the party, told Times Radio: “There’ll be a lot of bloodletting in the Parliamentary Labour Party as a result of this decision.”
Corbyn allies predict PM’s downfall
John McDonnell, the Labour MP who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor, said: “Message to Keir: do not underestimate the depth of anger people will feel about this disgusting 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.”
Jon Trickett, another Labour MP who served on Mr Corbyn’s front bench, said: “The decision to prevent members having a full choice of available candidates reveals weakness and lack of confidence in Downing Street.”
Andy McDonald, a Left-wing Labour MP, said: “This is completely outrageous. It should be for the members to decide who stands in this by-election.
“I’m afraid the NEC and the control freaks have made a catastrophic mistake and they have massively miscalculated the damage this will cause.”
Diane Abbott, the veteran Labour MP who currently sits as an independent, talked up the prospect of Sir Keir’s removal from No 10, saying: “If the results in May [at the local elections] are as bad as we all think they’re going to be, a challenger will emerge from somewhere, and Keir Starmer will be in a very difficult position.”
Ministers split over controversial decision
Others on the government benches privately agreed. One minister told The Telegraph: “This is a bad call by NEC. It makes the PM look weak and factional – and misses a chance for him to unify.”
Mr Burnham, who will continue as Greater Manchester Mayor, has high-profile allies in his corner.
Lucy Powell, the deputy Labour leader, was the only figure on a 10-person NEC panel to vote for Mr Burnham to stand.
The vote to block him was carried by eight to one, with Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, who also chairs the NEC, abstaining, given her need to oversee the entire committee.
Ms Rayner is understood to consider the decision a “stitch-up” and to believe Reform could be the beneficiary if it now wins the by-election.
However, the move is likely to strengthen her hand in any leadership contest by making her the undisputed choice of the party’s Left.
Streeting condemns briefings but stops short of backing Burnham
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary and a possible challenger from the Labour Right, criticised “disgraceful” briefings against Mr Burnham before the NEC decision, but stopped short of backing his candidacy.
What remains unclear is how widely that sense of anger and dissatisfaction on Sunday will spread through the moderate wing of the party.
Some Cabinet ministers backed the move, with one telling The Telegraph: “If [Mr Burnham] was our candidate it would be a circus.
“The public wants us to focus on running the country and getting the cost of living down. They do not want endless drama.”
Sir Keir’s allies had argued before the 11am meeting of the NEC panel – which lasted just an hour before deciding not to grant the Greater Manchester Mayor special dispensation to seek the Commons seat – that letting Mr Burnham run would help Reform.
