Labour’s decision to stop Andy Burnham from standing as a parliamentary candidate sparked a backlash inside the party in late January 2026. 

The move was politically controversial, but it was not illegal, and it shows the power political parties have over who can stand for Parliament.

What actually happened

Burnham wanted to stand as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which is due to take place on 26 February 2026. 

Reports say Labour’s ruling committee voted to block him from being the candidate, with the decision recorded as an 8 to 1 vote. 

Who decides who can stand for Labour?

In the UK, elections are governed by law.

But candidate selection inside parties is mostly governed by party rules.

So the system works like this:

  • Election law sets the rules for voting and campaigns
  • Parties decide who is allowed to stand under their brand.

For Labour, that decision-making power sits with the National Executive Committee (and, in practice, its relevant committees). If the NEC blocks a person, that person cannot stand as the party’s official candidate.

Why did Labour say “no”?

Labour’s public case has been practical rather than ideological.

The argument reported across coverage is:

  • If Burnham became an MP, Greater Manchester would need a new mayor
  • That would trigger another election and incur additional costs and disruption.
  • Labour figures presented this as a “focus” and “resources” decision. 

Why did it cause such a backlash?

Burnham is high-profile and has a strong regional base. So the decision didn’t land like a normal selection dispute.

Critics framed it as a sign that Labour’s leadership is becoming more controlling under Keir Starmer and that internal dissent is being squeezed out. 

The main criticisms were:

  • It looks like central leadership can block even well-known Labour figures
  • The decision-making process feels opaque.
  • It may damage trust among members and voters, especially in the North.

Important: those are political criticisms, not legal findings.

Why isn’t this illegal?

Because UK law doesn’t force parties to run open or democratic selection processes.

The law is focused on:

  • Who can vote
  • How elections are run
  • campaign rules and spending

Parties are generally allowed to set their own candidate selection rules.

So when disputes happen, they’re usually settled through:

  • internal party pressure
  • media scrutiny
  • electoral consequences

Not the courts.

The key takeaway

This isn’t just a Labour story. It’s a democracy story. A lot of power over who ends up in Parliament sits inside party structures, long before polling day.

The Burnham row shows how internal gatekeeping can shape representation even without changing a single law.