Kevin FitzpatrickNorht West
After days of political drama, it seems whichever candidate Labour does pick to stand in Gorton and Denton will have to contend with the Andy Burnham factor.
When the went to speak to people in the solidly old school working class area, there seemed to be significant sympathy for the Greater Manchester mayor who was blocked from standing.
With Reform also setting its sites on the seat vacated by Andrew Gwynne, do people believe Sir Keir Starmer was wrong to prevent the former minister from a route back into Westminster?
Speaking outside Gorton Market, Ivan Millward said he believes Starmer’s move was founded in fears for his own future, while he expects another senior Labour figure could now step in to challenge – perhaps even former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
“Starmer’s opened a can of worms, there was fair amount of backing for Burnham,” he said.
“He is looking in trouble and in a bit you might seen Angela Rayner appear.”
Market trader Ibrahim also backed Burnham and felt he should be allowed to stand.
He said: “Nobody has a right to block somebody. Nobody has a right to say ‘no you cant stand’.”
Joan Moffatt spoke of the “likeability” factor retained by the former cabinet member, who was once dubbed the Kind of the North as he often clashed with Whitehall in his mayoral role during the coronovirus pandemic.
“I like him – people do like him – I think he should have been allowed to stand and he has done a lot of good,” she said.
Her daughter-in-law Joan Booth added: “I think he is good at what he does I think what he stands for is good.
“He should have been allowed to do what he does – the money spent on a mayor by-election would have been worth it.”
However, not everyone felt the same.
Reform supporter Louise Mortimer said the reported £5m cost of a mayoral election to find a replacement for Burnham was “a lot of money in these cash-strapped times”.
“It would have been a waste,” she said.
“It is going to cost money and I don’t think he Burnham should stand.
“I’m not worried about Labour. I’m for Reform, and I’m worried about whether they will be able to do what they say they want to do.”