Downing Street accused of plot to derail Andy Burnham’s by-election hopes

May 18, 2026 · 5:13 PM UTC ·7 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 30 views

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

Downing Street is accused of attempting to undermine Andy Burnham's by-election campaign. Allies of Burnham claim that the Labour leadership is not fully supporting him, which could impact his chances of winning. Concerns have been raised about the potential return of former leader Jeremy Corbyn if Burnham succeeds.

Key facts

▪Downing Street is allegedly involved in a plot to derail Andy Burnham's parliamentary ambitions.
▪Labour MPs have been informed that Burnham's success could lead to the return of Jeremy Corbyn.
▪Polling experts suggest that if Burnham wins the by-election, he may become the next Labour leader.

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The Independent (UK) publishes from United Kingdom and files mainly under news. We currently carry 922 of its stories.

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Original publisher	The Independent
Canonical URL	https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-byelection-downing-street-plot-b2978882.html
Publication time	Mon, 18 May 2026 17:13:31 GMT
Retrieval time	2026-05-18T17:19:56.689Z
Last seen	2026-05-18T17:19:56.689Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

NewsUKUK PoliticsDowning Street accused of plot to derail Andy Burnham’s by-election hopesLabour MPs are being briefed that Burnham could bring back Corbyn amid claims of a dirty tricks campaign to stop the Greater Manchester mayorDavid Maddox Political Editor, Kate Devlin & Millie CookeMonday 18 May 2026 18:13 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2978882","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-byelection-downing-street-plot-b2978882.html","title":"Downing Street accused of plot to derail Andy Burnham’s…

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