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The Greater Manchester Mayor Would 'Probably' Have Secured the Recent Byelection, Says Labour Number Two
Labour's deputy leader has suggested that Andy Burnham could have won the recent Manchester byelection, as she called for her party to make more use of the influential Greater Manchester mayor.
A Surprise Victory for the Green Party
Overcoming a substantial 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 placed second, just ahead of the official Labour contender, Angeliki Stogia.
Fresh Questions Over Blocked Candidacy
The surprise result has sparked fresh debate of the party's choice to block Andy Burnham from contesting the seat last month.
In an interview with the BBC, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, remarked, "Andy Burnham probably would have held the seat. I think definitely the Greens wouldn't have targeted the seat in the manner that they did."
Powell was the only member of Labour's ruling national executive committee to support allowing Burnham to stand, with the majority, including leader Keir Starmer, voting against.
Accepting Responsibility
However, she told the BBC she understood "the group's decision" for the ruling, pointing to worries over triggering a separate election in Greater Manchester.
Powell also emphasized that her party must learn from the reasons for Burnham's widespread popularity in the region. She said people "view him as someone who is fighting for them, someone who is implementing those Labour values and Labour policies."
"We have to draw on that, leverage Andy Burnham, but also draw on that and consider how we could replicate that success nationally," she continued.
What Comes Next
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering another attempt at becoming an MP again. One ally said, "Given the current political climate, who knows what might happen. It would be unwise to say he would never."
So far, Burnham himself has yet to comment on the Gorton and Denton outcome. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has pledged to continue despite calling the poll result "disappointing."
Internal Reactions
Angela Rayner, a prominent voice on Labour's left, called the byelection result "a stark warning" for the party.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is set to caution about the party shifting leftward in response to the defeat. This comes as the government proposes legislation for tougher immigration measures next week.
An insider was quoted as saying, "The Labour government should not misinterpret the message from its electoral setback. The idea that we are alienating support over immigration is just plain wrong."
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