Labour ad van for Gorton and Denton by-election launched as Lucy Powell and Bev Craig defend Andy Burnham

Lucy Powell, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, defended Andy Burnham’s bid to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which was blocked by Labour’s NEC. She acknowledged it was a tough decision for Burnham but praised him as a fantastic mayor for Greater Manchester. Burnham expressed concerns about the current political climate, describing the by-election as critical for Manchester’s values. Despite the setback, he’s now focused fully on his mayoral duties. This by-election follows the resignation of Andrew Gwynne amid a scandal, and Powell highlighted the need for a representative who genuinely cares about local issues rather than playing political games. She, along with Manchester Council leader Bev Craig, emphasised that the constituents deserve an MP prioritising their needs. With Reform’s candidate Matt Goodwin making waves, the election promises to be competitive. Other candidates include Shahbaz Sarwar from the Worker’s Party and Melissa Poulton from the Greens.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News