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Independent MP Andrew Gwynne is to retire from parliament, creating an opening for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to stage a Westminster comeback and challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
The Gorton and Denton MP, who was suspended by Labour nearly a year ago following leaked WhatsApp messages, has agreed to stand down, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
His decision will mean a by-election will be held in the Greater Manchester seat, which Gwynne won in 2024 with a 13,000-vote majority.
It will also fuel speculation that Burnham, long seen as a likely challenger to Starmer’s premiership, may have a route back to Westminster.
Several high-profile Labour figures are thought to fancy their chances as the next party leader and therefore prime minister, given the party’s huge majority in the House of Commons.
Contenders are likely to include former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and health secretary Wes Streeting as well as Burnham, who needs to be a serving Labour MP to run for the party’s leadership.
Gwynne was suspended from Labour last February after leaked messages showed him insulting a constituent.
Since then the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has not confirmed what sanction, if any, will be applied to him.
Gwynne did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His parliamentary office did not deny that he is about to quit.