Blocking Andy Burnham’s bid to stand as an MP could cause irreparable damage if Labour now loses the by-election, writes John McTernan

The Labour Party is renowned for never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. On Sunday they did it again by barring Andy Burnham from standing in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. The thing is, this Labour government desperately needs a boost electorally.

It is led by the most unpopular Prime Minister in polling history, and has now reached its lowest ever levels of unpopularity. Pollsters show that support for Labour now stands at 17 per cent – meaning the party has shed half the support it had in its “loveless landslide” in the general election.

So, as Keir Starmer’s government enters its “mid-term” phase, the unprecedented fall in Labour’s popularity means that it needs all the help it can get. Particularly as all by-elections are difficult for governing parties – they are a chance for voters to have a free hit, to “send a........

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