Much as I want someone to replace Starmer, this decision is not a big surprise, really. Aside from Starmer’s desire for self-preservation, Burnham becoming an MP would have forced a mayoral by-election in Manchester which Labour might well have lost (on current polling, Reform had a slight edge). Burnham had a chance to run as an MP in 2024 without causing that problem and decided not to, so it’s hard to feel too sorry for him.
He would’ve looked weak because there were obvious reasons not to permit Burnham to stand as an MP that are unrelated to Starmer. Why ignore them? Starmer’s critics would say: because he can’t afford not to ignore them, because he’s weak.
There was no win in this situation.