Why Andy Burnham has to stand down as Mayor of Greater Manchester to become an MP

Andy Burnham has confirmed he wants to return to Westminster as a Labour MP, planning to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election. He’s formally requested permission from Labour’s ruling committee to enter the selection process, but he must first be approved by the national executive committee (NEC). There’s a Sunday evening deadline for applications, after which candidates will be shortlisted and interviewed. Because he’s a sitting mayor, he has a Saturday evening deadline to register his intention to run and needs express permission from the NEC under party rules. If he makes it to the shortlist, he’ll also need local party support. However, if successful, he’ll have to resign as Mayor, as the law prevents a police and crime commissioner from being an MP. This would leave Greater Manchester in a bit of a murky situation regarding a potential mayoral by-election and the interim arrangements.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News