6 h. ago Starmer defends Labour decision to bar Burnham from byelection

Greater Manchester mayor’s participation in 26 February byelection would ‘divert resources’, says prime ministerUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has defended Labour’s decision to block Andy Burnham from standing for parliament, a move which has triggered a major backlash against the prime minister from sections of his own party.Starmer said on Monday he and his fellow officers on Labour’s ruling executive committee had decided not to let Burnham quit as mayor of Greater Manchester to avoid triggering a costly mayoral election. Continue reading...

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9 h. ago Andy Burnham latest: Starmer defends blocking mayor’s bid to become MP as Labour rebellion ramps up

Manchester mayor also voices criticism about ‘way party is being run’ and hits back at those supporting blocking of path back to Westminster

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9 h. ago Starmer defends Labour move to block Burnham from running in by

The Prime Minister insisted the ‘battle of our times’ was between Labour and Reform rather than within his own party.

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10 h. ago Keir Starmer defends blocking Andy Burnham Commons comeback but Labour MP calls for him to quit

The Prime Minister was facing a Labour revolt after party chiefs stopped Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from being able to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election

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12 h. ago Burnham barred from byelection to help Labour ‘focus’, says Scotland secretary

Commons seat campaign by Greater Manchester mayor mid-term would drain resources, says Douglas AlexanderLabour’s decision to bar Andy Burnham from standing in a Westminster byelection was about “focus than about factionalism”, so the party would not be distracted ahead of vital elections in May, Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, has said.Defending the decision by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to block the Greater Manchester mayor from being a candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, Alexander said this was not because Keir Starmer was scared of a leadership challenge. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Starmer tells Labour MPs his foreign trips can help fix cost of living crisis

Prime minister tells parliamentary party that ‘being in the room’ for trade and defence talks will boost UK economy Keir Starmer has defended his frequent trips out of the country to Labour MPs, attempting to draw a direct link with the cost of living at home, which he warned would not be solved by isolationism.The prime minister told the meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday night that it was essential for him to be “in the room” for international negotiations on trade and defence, which would then have an impact on the domestic economy. Continue reading...

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