If you believe the polling , Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t have a choice. The flailing Prime Minister must hold his nose and allow Andy Burnham to stand in the inevitable Gorton and Denton by-election, knowing the Greater Manchester Mayor is the only hope Labour has of holding on to the seat against Reform UK.

Starmer’s allies believe Burnham is eyeing up the seat currently held by suspended Labour MP Andrew Gwynne as a platform to challenge for the party leadership . Party rules would require Burnham to be a sitting MP before he would be eligible for any leadership race. Sources have questioned, however, whether Labour can even hold on to the seat.

Although on paper, Labour has a majority of over 13,000, party strategists worry the constituency’s Muslim population may well punish the

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