🔗 Share this article The Greater Manchester Mayor Was 'Likely' to Have Won the Recent Byelection, States Labour Deputy Leader The party's second-in-command has suggested that Andy Burnham would have triumphed in the recent Manchester byelection, while she called for her party to make more use of the influential Greater Manchester mayor. An Unexpected Result for the Greens Overcoming a sizable 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a local plumber, became the Green Party's fifth MP on Friday. This happened in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years. The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin finished second, narrowly beating the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia. Renewed Scrutiny Over Candidate Decision The unexpected outcome has prompted renewed questioning of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month. Speaking to the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, stated, "Andy Burnham probably would have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have gone after the seat in the same way that they did." Powell was the only member of Labour's top decision-making body to vote in favour of allowing Burnham to stand, with eight others, including leader Keir Starmer, opposing the move. Collective Decision However, she told the BBC she accepted "collective responsibility" for the outcome, pointing to worries over triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester. Powell also stressed that her party must learn from the sources of Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "see in him someone who is on their side, someone who is delivering those Labour values and party pledges." "We have to utilise that insight, make use of Andy Burnham, but also learn from it and consider how we could replicate that success nationally," she continued. Future Speculation Andy Burnham is understood not to have ruled out another attempt at returning to parliament. A source close to him said, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never." So far, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on despite calling the poll result "disheartening." Party Response Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a wake-up call" for the party. In contrast, the Home Secretary is expected to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes new laws on stricter border controls next week. A source close to the Home Secretary was quoted as saying, "The party should not misinterpret the message from its electoral setback. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is simply incorrect."
The party's second-in-command has suggested that Andy Burnham would have triumphed in the recent Manchester byelection, while she called for her party to make more use of the influential Greater Manchester mayor. An Unexpected Result for the Greens Overcoming a sizable 13,000-vote Labour majority from the previous general election, Hannah Spencer, a local plumber, became the Green Party's fifth MP on Friday. This happened in an area that had consistently returned Labour MPs for almost one hundred years. The Reform Party's Matt Goodwin finished second, narrowly beating the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia. Renewed Scrutiny Over Candidate Decision The unexpected outcome has prompted renewed questioning of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat last month. Speaking to the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, stated, "Andy Burnham probably would have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have gone after the seat in the same way that they did." Powell was the only member of Labour's top decision-making body to vote in favour of allowing Burnham to stand, with eight others, including leader Keir Starmer, opposing the move. Collective Decision However, she told the BBC she accepted "collective responsibility" for the outcome, pointing to worries over triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester. Powell also stressed that her party must learn from the sources of Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "see in him someone who is on their side, someone who is delivering those Labour values and party pledges." "We have to utilise that insight, make use of Andy Burnham, but also learn from it and consider how we could replicate that success nationally," she continued. Future Speculation Andy Burnham is understood not to have ruled out another attempt at returning to parliament. A source close to him said, "With all the chaos and turmoil, who knows what might happen. It would be foolish to say he would never." So far, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on despite calling the poll result "disheartening." Party Response Angela Rayner, a key figure on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a wake-up call" for the party. In contrast, the Home Secretary is expected to warn against the party moving to the left in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes new laws on stricter border controls next week. A source close to the Home Secretary was quoted as saying, "The party should not misinterpret the message from its electoral setback. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is simply incorrect."