Labour has announced its candidate for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election after Andy Burnham was blocked from standing by Sir Keir Starmer.

Angeliki Stogia, Manchester city councillor for Whalley Range, was unveiled to supporters on Saturday afternoon.

It comes after the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham sought and was denied permission to stand for the party.

The by-election was prompted by the resignation of former MP Andrew Gwynne, who stood down citing health reasons.

It is being seen as a crucial test for the Prime Minister amid record-low approval ratings, and will see Labour try and keep Reform from gaining another MP following recent high profile defections of Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman. 

Labour's announcement comes just days after the party's civil war deepened over the decision of its NEC to block Andy Burnham from standing in the seat.

Allies of Sir Keir feared that self-styled 'King of the North' Burnham might be seeking re-election to Parliament as part of a plan to ultimately dethrone and replace his embattled party leader.

So far, Reform UK has unveiled their candidate as GB News presenter Matt Goodwin while the Greens have opted for plumber and plasterer Hannah Spencer.

After her candidacy was announced Ms Stogia said she is 'so looking forward to going out on the doorstep and winning'.

She told a crowd of Labour activists: 'I am absolutely thrilled and excited, and I want to thank everyone who came to the hustings.

'I am a proud Mancunian woman. I have walked the streets of this constituency.

'This is about Manchester. Manchester is a city united, we are rejecting division. I am so looking forward to going out on the doorstep and winning this for Labour.'

Ms Stogia was flanked by Labour party chairwoman Anna Turley and deputy leader Lucy Powell as her candidacy was announced at the event in the Greater Manchester constituency.

She was previously selected as a Labour candidate in the 2024 election in Chester South and Eddisbury. She gained 32.1 per cent of the vote and came second, behind Conservative MP Aphra Brandreth, who received 37.9 per cent.

The Prime Minister was absent from the announcement as he is currently on an official visit to Japan.  

According to the latest polls, the constituency is on a knife-edge with research by Find Out Know putting Reform UK on 36 per cent and Labour on 33 per cent, while the Greens are a distant third with 21 per cent.

Last week Andy Burnham announced his desire to run in the by-election for Labour, but the former Health Secretary was blocked by Starmer and his allies.

In a meeting that lasted just 45 minutes Labour's NEC rejected his request by eight votes to one, ostensibly over the cost of electing a new mayor to replace him.

The Prime Minister was one of those who voted against him, as was party chairwoman Anna Turley.

Only Lucy Powell, the Labour deputy leader - who is also a Manchester MP - voted in favour of him running.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester took to social media to share his 'disappointment'.

'I decided to put myself forward to prevent the divisive politics of Reform from damaging that,' Mr Burnham said. 'We are stronger together and let's stay that way.' 

But amid his manoeuvres last year for a leadership bid which threatened to overshadow Labour's party conference in September, Starmer allies will be breathing a sigh of relief that a potential rival has been, for now, struck down - any leader of the Labour Party has to be a sitting MP.

However, with the by-election being seen by some backbenchers as a referendum on Sir Keir's leadership, nerves are heightening following candidate announcements from Reform UK and the Greens.

Nigel Farage's party has opted for GB News commentator Matt Goodwin, a 44-year-old former academic, whose family is from Manchester.

Appearing at a press conference in the constituency to announce his candidacy, Mr Goodwin said: 'I am not a career politician. I am not a Tory.

'I am not part of the establishment. I am not part of the Westminster blob.

'I am, like many people in this seat and millions of people in this country, hard-working taxpayers who are just fed up of watching what is happening to their communities and to their home.' 

Meanwhile for the Greens, plumber Hannah Spencer, 34, will be aiming to pick enough votes up from Labour to force a shock result.

At the 2024 election outgoing MP Mr Gwynne won the seat for Labour with more than half the vote - 18,555 - in 2024 while Nigel Farage's Reform UK came second on 5,142 votes, narrowly beating the Greens with 4,810.