Labour peer Harriet Harman has delivered a pointed rebuke to Andy Burnham, declaring that the Greater Manchester Mayor is not "entitled" to a seat in parliament. Her comments follow the Labour Party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) decisively blocking Mr Burnham from standing as the candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
A Tone of Entitlement Criticised
Speaking to Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Harman took issue with Mr Burnham's public reaction to the NEC's refusal. She specifically criticised a tweet from the Mayor, in which he lamented that "over 30 years of service would count for something, but sadly not."
"That smacked to me of entitlement," Harman stated. "And he's given 30 years of service. But it ought to be because he believes in it, because it's a cause, not because he's gonna get something back."
Party Unity Over Individual Ambition
The senior Labour figure emphasised collective responsibility, arguing that "no one is bigger than the party." She urged Burnham to adopt a more conciliatory tone and focus on the broader electoral challenges facing Labour.
"The best interest of the party now and everybody is to get on and help win the by-election," Harman advised. "The party leader is Keir Starmer and we've got elections that lie ahead of us, this by-election and then elections throughout the country in May."
NEC Blocks Potential Leadership Challenge
The NEC's decision on Sunday effectively quashed Mr Burnham's anticipated return to Westminster. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he required explicit permission from the party's governing body to stand in the parliamentary contest.
Many political observers had viewed a potential Burnham candidacy as a direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. In its official statement, the Labour Party cited the prohibitive cost of running concurrent campaigns for both a parliamentary seat and a Manchester mayoral by-election as the primary reason for the block.
Broader Political Defections Discussed
The podcast conversation also touched upon other significant political shifts. Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson offered her analysis on Suella Braverman's recent defection to Reform UK, suggesting it would not create "as many ripples" as Robert Jenrick's departure.
Davidson noted that Braverman's move was widely anticipated, given her husband's prominent role within Reform, and described it as becoming almost routine in the current political climate.
This episode underscores the ongoing tensions within the Labour Party regarding candidate selection, internal discipline, and the balance between individual political ambitions and the collective strategy required for upcoming national elections.
