0h 5min, jan 24, 2026 y - Burnham seeks By-Election Permission

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Andy Burnham has announced that he is seeking permission to stand in the upcoming Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election.

If he won and became an MP, Burnham could mount a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer but the BBC has been told that allies of the prime minister may try and block him from standing in the constituency.

Burnham is currently mayor of Greater Manchester and in a statement insisted that he wants to back the Labour government "not undermine it", adding that the decision had been "difficult".

The seat in Greater Manchester is vacant after Andrew Gwynne stood down on Friday as an MP on health grounds.

As a directly-elected mayor, Burnham has to get approval from Labour's ruling national executive committee before he can enter the race to be the party's candidate. That decision is expected on Sunday.

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