Zack Polanski told to step aside in Makerfield as senior Greens call for deal with Andy Burnham

Senior figures within the Green Party have called on their candidate Zack Polanski to weigh up standing down in the Makerfield by-election, provided the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham pledges support for proportional representation.

A joint statement signed by councillors, activists and former party leaders expresses concern about contesting the seat.

Among those backing the letter are Jonathan Bartley, who served as party leader from 2016 to 2018, and Rupert Read, a former councillor and author.

"Greens have always put their values and the climate and nature first," the statement declares.

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"Which is why we approach the Makerfield by-election with some trepidation."

The signatories argue that Mr Burnham's candidacy offers a "unique opportunity" to achieve voting system reform.

The letter is blunt in its assessment of the party's prospects. "In all reality this is not a seat Greens can win. It will be a straight fight between Labour and Reform," it states.

Polling conducted for The Times places the Greens in fifth position, trailing the Liberal Democrats, Restore Britain, Reform and Labour.

Mr Burnham is using next month's contest as a launchpad for his return to Westminster, with ambitions extending to Downing Street.

The signatories believe his election would likely spark a Labour leadership battle.

Their support comes with conditions. "If Burnham will commit to backing proportional representation for the next general Labour election manifesto so that it is in place by the election after next, then on this unique occasion we don't think Greens should run a full campaign against him," the letter states.

Mr Read outlined the exceptional circumstances surrounding the contest. "There are utterly unique stakes in this by-election: a Burnham victory could unseat Starmer, usher in vitally needed electoral reform and play a critical role in stopping Reform," he said.

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He expressed hope that Greens would not "move heaven and earth to stop [Burnham]" should the mayor reinforce his commitment to voting reform.

"Frankly, there are much better ways to spend that energy and money," Mr Read added.

The party has already encountered difficulties with its candidate selection. Chris Kennedy, initially chosen to stand, withdrew just 12 hours after his selection, citing personal and family reasons.

His departure followed enquiries from The Times regarding social media posts he had shared describing an attack on Jewish ambulances in north London as a "false flag" operation.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “We respect all views from within the party on this issue. As a democratic party this is a decision for local members and a democratic candidate selection process is currently underway.

“We are not aware that Andy Burnham is ready to make, or indeed has the authority to make, any kind of deal. The people of Makersfield deserve to have a choice about who they feel best represents their interests.”

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, cautioned against internal Labour distractions. "There's a lot of fantasy politics going on right now inside the Labour Party in terms of who is up, who is down, who will be in what position," he told the BBC.

Mr Jones nonetheless described Mr Burnham as "a brilliant politician" and confirmed he would campaign for him.

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