Andy Burnham says claim he was knew MP bid would be blocked 'doesn't stack up'

Andy Burnham has strongly denied claims that he was warned he would be blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Responding to ITV’s Robert Peston, who cited sources from the Prime Minister’s office, Burnham said it was “simply untrue” that he’d been told his application would be rejected. He emphasised that he held discussions with senior party figures over the weekend and insisted that the National Executive Committee (NEC) is an independent body, making such predictions impossible. While the Labour candidacy is still being decided, five Greater Manchester councillors are on the long-list. Meanwhile, Reform UK has selected Matt Goodwin to run in the by-election.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News