By William James
LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - British Labour Party politician Andy Burnham was on Sunday blocked from trying to return to parliament by Labour's governing body, local media reported, in what will be seen as a political move by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies to keep out a potential leadership rival.
Burnham, one of the party's most high-profile politicians and an elected mayor in the northern English city of Manchester, said on Saturday he wanted to become Labour's candidate to replace a lawmaker who resigned last week.
Local news outlets, including the BBC and the Guardian newspaper, reported that he was refused permission by Labour's National Executive Committee.
Blocking Burnham's candidacy will deny him the chance of winning a platform from which he could have formally challenged Starmer, because only members of parliament can trigger a leadership contest.
Labour did not immediately confirm the NEC's decision, and said a statement would be issued later on Sunday.
The NEC decision will fuel discontent in a governing party whose popularity has plummeted since a landslide election win in July 2024 as Starmer has struggled to deliver on promises of a stronger economy, better public services and tighter borders.
Last week, bond markets reacted negatively to the prospect of Burnham's return to parliament, with some investors taking a view that it could trigger political turmoil and, if he did eventually replace Starmer, a looser fiscal policy.
Burnham criticised Starmer's leadership last year but said on Saturday he had assured the prime minister he wanted to "support the work of the government, not undermine it".
Burnham ran unsuccessfully to become party leader in 2015, when he was beaten by Jeremy Corbyn. He left parliament to become Greater Manchester Mayor in 2017 but has remained an influential figure for some centre-left groups within Labour, particularly those critical of Starmer's more centrist stance.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Susan Fenton)
