More than 50 Labour MPs have signed a letter asking the National Executive Committee to reconsider its decision to block Andy Burnham from running as the party’s candidate in Gorton and Denton.
The letter – which is addressed to Keir Starmer, NEC chair Shabana Mahmood and Labour’s general secretary Hollie Ridley – said blocking the mayor of Greater Manchester has caused “a huge amount of anxiety and anger amongst colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party”. The decision to block Burnham was made by a group of ten officers on the NEC, not the full committee.
In the letter, the MPs also make the case that blocking Burnham is a “real gift to Nigel Farage”.
It is one of two letters – the other coordinated by members of the Tribune group of soft-left MPs – that have urged NEC officers to reconsider their decision not to permit Burnham to stand.
At last night’s PLP meeting, two MPs – Kim Johnson and Richard Burgon – raised the issue of Burnham’s blocking. In response to Burgon’s question, Labour Party chair Anna Turley said: “the decision has been made and we look forward to campaigning”.
[Further reading: The only conspiracy at the Fabian Society conference]
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