Andy Burnham has backed Labour's newly announced candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, after being blocked from standing himself by the party's governing body.

In a post on X, the Greater Manchester mayor congratulated Angeliki Stogia, a city councillor for Whalley Range, and said she would do "a great job".

He added: "I will be there for you whenever you need me."

Mr Burnham, whose potential return to Westminster was seen by many as a possible challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, formally requested permission to stand for the contest last weekend.

As mayor he needed approval to contest a different political election - but Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to block his request the following day.

The by-election was prompted by the resignation of former MP Andrew Gwynne, who stood down citing health reasons, and Ms Stogia was announced as the party's candidate on Saturday afternoon.

Describing herself as a "proud Mancunian woman" at a launch event, Ms Stogia said: "This is about Manchester. Manchester is a city united, we are rejecting division. I am so looking forward to going out on the doorstep and winning this for Labour."

The east Manchester seat has been Labour since before the Second World War - but both Reform UK and the Green Party are now eyeing victory as Sir Keir faces internal revolt over the decision to block Mr Burnham.

PM criticises Reform UK's 'politics of division'

GB News presenter and former academic Matt Goodwin is in the running for Reform UK, while councillor and plumber Hannah Spencer is representing the Greens and local campaigner Jackie Pearcey the Liberal Democrats.

The prime minister has insisted his party's decision to not allow Mr Burnham to run is the right one, because doing so would "divert our resources".

Asked during the final leg of his recent trip to east Asia if the by-election should be viewed as a referendum on his premiership, Sir Keir responded with criticism of Reform UK's "politics of poisonous division" - highlighting apparent endorsement of Mr Goodwin by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

"It is very much and very clearly now a by-election between Labour and Reform on key principles," the prime minister said.

"I see that Tommy Robinson, I think, has just come out in support of Matt Goodwin... That tells you everything about the politics they intend to inject into this by-election, the politics of poisonous division, so we can see exactly where that's going."

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Labour is the "only contender", Sir Keir insisted, adding: "So, it's Labour versus Reform and we will fight for renewal, for inclusive communities and bringing people together, and for true patriotism against the plastic patriotism of Reform."

The prime minister did not say whether he would join the campaign efforts on the ground in the constituency.

Labour previously won the seat with more than half the vote - 18,555 - in 2024, with Nigel Farage's Reform UK coming second with 5,142 votes, narrowly beating the Greens at 4,810.

A Reform UK spokesman said the party has been "consistently clear" on its view of Robinson and that "he isn't welcome in the party".