LABOUR was in turmoil today amid a deepening civil war over Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham being blocked from a by-election race.

PM Sir Keir Starmer insisted allowing his potential leadership rival to run for a Westminster seat would “divert our resources” from Labour’s campaigns in May elections.

But Mr Burnham said that he was “disappointed” by party’s national executive committee’s (NEC) decision to prevent him standing in Gorton and Denton.

He added that he was “concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us” and said the fact the NEC’s decision had been leaked to the press before he had been informed “tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days.”

Mr Burnham insisted he would “return with full focus” to his mayoral job and urged unity in the face of “the divisive politics of Reform.”

Sir Keir was among the 10-strong NEC who voted to deny Mr Burnham permission to run in the Greater Manchester by-election at a meeting on Sunday.

Critics accused him of factionalism as both his and Labour’s approval ratings plummet.

Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth Brian Leishman said: “What weakness from the leadership to block Andy Burnham from standing in Gorton and Denton. 

“He is clearly the best hope Labour has of winning the by election and to block him is undemocratic factionalism.

“This is another sad day for our great party under the current leadership.

“The party members should be allowed to decide on who their candidate is. In fact, Keir Starmer thought the same in 2020 when he said that NEC imposition of candidates was wrong.”

Another backbencher said they expected the party would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Trade unions also criticised the decision, with the TSSA saying Labour had “lost its way” and the general secretary of Unison, Britain’s largest trade union, saying it was not the way “any democratic organisation should be run.”

Sir Keir insisted the “battle of our times” was between Labour and Reform UK rather than within his own party as he appealed for unity within the party ahead of the local elections in spring.