Fears over Andy Burnham 'mistake' that would 'open back door' to Reform

Andy Burnham stepping down as Mayor of Greater Manchester has MP Graham Stringer worried it could allow Reform UK to sneak in. Following Andrew Gwynne’s resignation, Burnham might be eyeing the Gorton and Denton seat to challenge Keir Starmer for Labour leadership, but Stringer believes this would be a big mistake. Burnham’s popularity as mayor, where he won 63% of the vote last May, makes him a valuable asset. Stringer feels moving to parliament could ruin Burnham’s mayoral legacy and possibly lead to a Reform mayor taking over, which he thinks would be disastrous. Gwynne resigned due to health issues after a controversial WhatsApp scandal that derailed his career. Meanwhile, Burnham has been tight-lipped about his plans, focusing instead on his current mayoral duties. A Reform UK spokesperson stated that they would attempt to take advantage of any upcoming by-election, although beating Labour in Manchester remains a tough challenge.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News