Labour’s Burnham veto has made a tricky Manchester byelection much harder

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Josh Halliday North of England editorJanuary 26, 2026 at 07:00 AM

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Labour's leadership blocked Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from running in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection, triggered by Andrew Gwynne's resignation. The decision, viewed by some as an attempt to protect Keir Starmer, complicates Labour's chances in the diverse southeast Manchester constituency. The seat, a Labour stronghold for decades despite boundary changes, now faces challenges from Reform UK, who aim to make the election a referendum on the government. Labour also faces pressure from the left, with potential gains for the Green Party and independent candidates focused on Gaza. Experts predict a tight race, with multiple factors influencing voter decisions and potentially jeopardizing Labour's hold on the seat.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jeremy Corbyn 30% George Galloway 30% University of Manchester 40% Greens ×240% Liverpool 40% Andrew Gwynne 50% Nigel Farage ×250% Keir Starmer ×270% Reform UK ×470% Gorton and Denton ×280% Labour Party ×990% Andy Burnham ×490%

Keywords

byelection 90% labour party 80% andy burnham 70% gorton and denton 60% keir starmer 60% reform uk 60% political strategy 50% voter demographics 50% boundary changes 40% nigel farage 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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byelection labour party andy burnham gorton and denton keir starmer reform uk political strategy voter demographics boundary changes nigel farage

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