Andy Burnham cracks Leeds United joke after Keir Starmer backs block on by-election bid | OneFootball

Everton fan Andy Burnham cracked a Leeds United joke after a bruising weekend, with Sir Keir Starmer backing a party move that thwarted his by-election bid. Before Leeds visited the Hill Dickinson Stadium, he suggested Dominic Calvert-Lewin might add to his woes.

It finished 1-1, James Justin putting Daniel Farke’s side ahead before the half hour, Thierno Barry levelling after the break. According to Leeds Live, Burnham posted on X around 90 minutes before kick-off predicting a Calvert-Lewin hat-trick given his weekend.

The National Executive Committee prevented him from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election, a decision he publicly criticised and said could damage campaigns. His pre-match line was pitched as light relief after a difficult few days.

Labour said in a statement that an unnecessary Greater Manchester mayoral election would disproportionately drain resources before May’s local, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd votes, and that it could not put control of Greater Manchester at risk.

Starmer sits on the committee. On Monday he said resources should be focused on elections that must happen, not those that do not.

Calvert-Lewin left Everton when his contract expired last summer to join Leeds, after the clubs had already met on the opening weekend. This was his first chance to face his former side back on Merseyside.

Since Sunday, Burnham’s social media activity has been limited to thanking a supporter and reaffirming that his earlier statement was accurate. He also told former Labour adviser Tom Baldwin that losing a by-election would not help either.

Source: Leeds Live