Okay, here’s a verification and correction of the provided text, based on information available as of today, January 26, 2024. I will highlight corrections and additions in bold.
jonathan Gwynne has a 13,413 majority in the seat,which lies to the south-east of Manchester. Reform UK is likely to mount a significant challenge in any byelection, capitalising on support in the Tameside part of the constituency.
Labour believes it is on firmer ground in the larger, Greater Manchester part of the seat, although could face some pressure from pro-Gaza independents.
Should Andy Burnham return to parliament, he would have to secure the backing of 80 labour MPs to challenge Keir Starmer, although the mayor – who served in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments – is viewed with scepticism by some on the backbenches.
Gwynne was said by some MPs to have reached an agreement with Burnham to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to stand in his seat after he quit,but the two are not close and both have denied any pact.
There had been speculation for months that Gwynne was trying to strike a deal with the MPs pension authority that would allow him to retire early on grounds of ill health.
Friends of the MP said that would mean he would receive a yearly payout untill he reached retirement age, when he would be entitled to the full pension.
On Thursday, Gwynne confirmed that his mental health had deteriorated to such an extent that he was stepping down, triggering a byelection in his constituency.
The former minister said in a statement that while proud of his achievements in parliament, he had “suffered significant ill-health over most of the 21 years I’ve served as an MP”.
He quoted a note from his GP, who said that he was “extremely vulnerable and further stress will cause rapid deterioration”, and that he did not think he could safely return to parliament.
Gwynne added: “I wish the Labour government every success in meeting our country’s challenges head-on and providing the real change the people of Britain voted for in 2024”.
Gwynne is still subject to a parliamentary standards investigation, which was initiated last year after he was found to have been in a WhatsApp group – called “Trigger Happy Timbers” – that shared vulgar and inflammatory comments about voters and other MPs. He was suspended from the party after the messages came to light. The investigation is ongoing and concerns allegations of betting on the timing of his own resignation.
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