Nigel Farage says Reform have ‘serious shout’ of winning by-election after Andy Burnham blocking
‘I think it would have been very difficult for us to beat him’
Nigel Farage(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
The blocking by Labour of Andy Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election has boosted Reform’s chances of winning the seat, the party’s leader Nigel Farage has said.
The mayor of Greater Manchester was at the centre of political intrigue over the weekend after he announced his intention to stand – only to be blocked from doing so by Labour’s top brass, the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said the ‘basis of the NEC decision’ was having a mayoral election in Manchester would divert resources and focus away from the local elections later this year, as well as elections being held in Scotland and Wales.
Now Mr Farage – MP for Clacton and leader of Reform UK – has had his say, admitting it ‘would have been very difficult’ for his party to have beaten Mr Burnham in the by-election.
He said Mr Burnham not standing in Gorton and Denton has improved Reform’s odds of taking the seat, which Labour holds with a large majority.
Mr Farage told reporters on Monday: “Burnham would have galvanised the anti-Starmer vote. He’d have pushed the turnout up, and I think it would have been very difficult for us to beat him.
“I’m being absolutely frank about that.. we might have come a good second. Now he’s not there. I think that the anti-Starmer vote will coalesce around us, so I think our chances have improved massively overnight.”
He said the ruling by Labour’s NEC has left Reform ‘with a serious shout’ of taking the constituency.
“Is it a pushover? Of course it’s not; it’s rather like Runcorn,” Mr Farage went on.
“It’s one of those traditional safe Labour seats with a big majority and it’ll probably be very close, but are we now in with a serious shout? Absolutely.”
Reform overturned a massive Labour majority to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in May last year.
In what was the first by-election of the new Labour Government, Sarah Pochin was elected for Reform by just six votes.
The contest was held to replace Wythenshawe-born former Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who resigned after punching a constituent in October 2024.
Former minister Andrew Gwynne announced on January 22 that he would stand down as the Labour MP for Gorton and Denton, citing ‘significant ill health’ and advice from his doctor not to return to work. Mr Gwynne was suspended from the Labour Party last year amid the fall-out over comments contained in the infamous WhatsApp group named ‘Trigger Me Timbers’.
Mr Burnham addressed the issue on Monday as he was pictured for the first time after the NEC’s decision was revealed, telling reporters he was ‘getting on with my job now’.
He made the brief comment after he gave a speech at an event at Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery.
As he entered a lift, he said: “I have said everything that I needed to say and I’m getting on with my job now.”
