Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMike TaylorThursday 14 May 2026 17:31 BSTNEC member doesn't 'see how it's physically possible' for Burnham to enter leadership raceJosh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, has announced his resignation from Parliament, to allow Andy Burnham to seek re-election to Parliament.Simons stated his belief that urgent and radical reform is necessary and that the Mayor of Greater Manchester is the leader to drive this change.He criticised Westminster's “managed decline” of towns and the current political approach as insufficient.Simons acknowledged the personal difficulty of his decision, emphasising his commitment to political change.Officers on Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 8-1 in January to bar Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection.In fullStarmer latest: Burnham could stand in leadership race as path to Westminster emergesThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in