Andy Burnham has confirmed he is seeking to stand for Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, paving the way for a return to parliament and a potential leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said the decision had been “difficult”, but now was “the moment to mount the strongest possible defence” of Labour’s values as he asked for permission to stand from the party’s powerful ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), whose membership includes many Starmer loyalists.
