Burnham awaits Labour's verdict on by-election bid
The party's National Executive Committee is expected to meet virtually after Mr Burnham applied for permission to contest the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election
Labour's ruling body is set to decide whether Andy Burnham can stand as a by-election candidate as the Greater Manchester mayor plots a return to Westminster.
The party's National Executive Committee (NEC) is expected to meet virtually on Sunday after Mr Burnham applied for permission to contest the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
Announcing his decision on Saturday, Mr Burnham said the by-election was "the front line" of a fight against "a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other".
He said: "I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved."
Labour Party rules give the NEC a veto over regional mayors contesting parliamentary elections under a change introduced after the last election, designed to prevent costly mayoral by-elections.
The committee now faces a dilemma over whether to exercise that power, with sources worried it will anger some party members whether it allows Mr Burnham to stand or not.
Sources close to the NEC have expressed concern about the expense of fighting a mayoral by-election in Manchester, while reports suggest supporters of Sir Keir Starmer are concerned about Mr Burnham's leadership ambitions.
But senior Labour figures, including Cabinet minister and former leader Ed Miliband, have urged the committee not to block Mr Burnham's candidacy and allow local members to decide.
Mr Miliband told the Fabian Society's annual conference on Saturday that Mr Burnham would be "a massive asset" in Parliament, adding Sir Keir "needs the best possible team serving under him".
He also dismissed the suggestion that Mr Burnham's return to Westminster would raise questions about the Prime Minister's leadership, saying the party "needs to be loyal to Keir and it needs to get on with the job of serving the country".
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell, who sits on the NEC, also backed giving local members the final say, while stressing the party needed to "get behind" Sir Keir.
The Gorton and Denton by-election was triggered on Thursday after the sitting MP, Andrew Gwynne, announced his resignation from Parliament on health grounds.
Although Mr Gwynne won the seat with 51% of the vote in 2024, Mr Burnham could still face a tough fight given the collapse in Labour's polling position and the rise of both Reform UK and the Green Party.
If elected, Mr Burnham would be legally required to stand down as mayor of Greater Manchester, triggering a city-wide by-election.
In a letter to the NEC asking for permission to stand, he said he would "give my all" in any mayoral by-election, adding he was "confident" Labour could win.