Andy Burnham is attempting a Westminster comeback yet again – and his eye is understood to be firmly on the leadership.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester said on Thursday that he will request the permission of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to stand in the Makerfield by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of Josh Simons.
Burnham said he wanted to return to Westminster to “bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people”.
Simons stood aside specifically so that Burnham could run, he said, and “drive the change our country is crying out for”.
It’s important to note that Burnham cannot stand in any future Labour leadership contest without a Westminster seat. But the vacancy of a seat doesn’t necessarily mean Burnham has a path forward.
