🔗 Share this article The Greater Manchester Mayor Would 'Probably' Have Secured Gorton and Denton Byelection, Says Labour Deputy Leader The party's second-in-command has indicated that Andy Burnham would have won the Gorton and Denton byelection, while she urged her party to make more use of the popular Greater Manchester mayor. A Surprise Victory for the Green Party Overturning a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a community tradesperson, became the party's fifth MP on Friday. This occurred in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years. The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin finished second, just ahead of the Labour candidate, Angeliki Stogia. Renewed Scrutiny Over Candidate Decision The surprise result has prompted fresh debate of the party's controversial decision to prevent Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month. Speaking to the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "He likely could have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have targeted the seat in the manner that they did." Powell was the sole member of Labour's ruling national executive committee to support allowing Burnham to stand, with the majority, including leader Keir Starmer, voting against. Collective Decision However, she told the BBC she accepted "collective responsibility" for the ruling, citing concern about triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester. Powell also emphasized that her party needed to draw inspiration from the sources of Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "view him as someone who is fighting for them, someone who is delivering those Labour values and Labour policies." "It is essential we draw on that, make use of Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and reflect on how we could replicate that success across the country," she continued. What Comes Next Andy Burnham is reportedly considering having another go at becoming an MP again. A source close to him commented, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never." To date, Burnham himself has not publicly spoken on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has pledged to continue despite calling the poll result "disheartening." Party Response Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party. Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is expected to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as she introduces legislation for 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 losing Muslim voters over immigration is simply incorrect."
The party's second-in-command has indicated that Andy Burnham would have won the Gorton and Denton byelection, while she urged her party to make more use of the popular Greater Manchester mayor. A Surprise Victory for the Green Party Overturning a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a community tradesperson, became the party's fifth MP on Friday. This occurred in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years. The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin finished second, just ahead of the Labour candidate, Angeliki Stogia. Renewed Scrutiny Over Candidate Decision The surprise result has prompted fresh debate of the party's controversial decision to prevent Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month. Speaking to the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "He likely could have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have targeted the seat in the manner that they did." Powell was the sole member of Labour's ruling national executive committee to support allowing Burnham to stand, with the majority, including leader Keir Starmer, voting against. Collective Decision However, she told the BBC she accepted "collective responsibility" for the ruling, citing concern about triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester. Powell also emphasized that her party needed to draw inspiration from the sources of Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "view him as someone who is fighting for them, someone who is delivering those Labour values and Labour policies." "It is essential we draw on that, make use of Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and reflect on how we could replicate that success across the country," she continued. What Comes Next Andy Burnham is reportedly considering having another go at becoming an MP again. A source close to him commented, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never." To date, Burnham himself has not publicly spoken on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has pledged to continue despite calling the poll result "disheartening." Party Response Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party. Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is expected to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as she introduces legislation for 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 losing Muslim voters over immigration is simply incorrect."