Gorton and Denton by-election: Starmer told to ‘stop listening to your rich mates’ as Labour civil war erupts after crushing defeat
Sir Keir Starmer faces growing opposition from his own ranks as Labor descends into civil war over devastating by-election defeat in Gorton and Denton.
Zack Polanski’s Green Party claimed a historic victory in the former Labor Party stronghold on Friday morning, with the Green leader claiming the result would “change the face of British politics”.
Plumber Hannah Spencer, the party’s newest MP, said the victory meant there was “no part of the country the Green Party can’t win”, sparking fears within Labor that they could face further crushing election defeats at the hands of the left.
Sir Keir vowed on Friday morning to “keep fighting”, but the prime minister is facing questions over his premiership as Labor MPs cast doubt on his ability to lead the country and steer the party to success at the polls.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is among the candidates suggested to replace Sir Keir, called for the party’s direction to change after this disastrous result, while MPs called on the prime minister to resign “for the good of Britain and the party”.
“This result should be a wake-up call. It’s time to really listen and think,” Ms Rayner said in a cryptic message after the defeat.
“Voters want the change we promised, and they voted for it. If we want to unravel the rigging of the system, if we want to make the change we sent to the government, we have to be bolder.”
The Mainstream Labor group, backed by Andy Burnham, called for an “urgent and radical reset”, adding: “The Gorton and Denton result is an absolute disaster for Labor. Clearly, we run the risk of no longer being seen as the natural home of progressive voters.”
The group said it was a “catastrophic mistake” to prevent Manchester’s mayor from standing, saying the loss was “avoidable” and Labor MP Chris Curtis also said he was “almost certain” Mr Burnham would win.
“When you get a result like this, continuing business as usual isn’t going to cut it,” he told BBC Radio 4.
The mounting clearance comes as follows:
- Hannah Spencer claimed the Green Party’s first victory in the parliamentary by-election.
- Although Labor won the constituency in 2024 with more than half the votes, it fell to third place by more than 5,000 votes from the Greens.
- Labor MPs lashed out at their leader following the “disastrous” result, with some MPs publicly calling on the prime minister to resign.
- The Prime Minister spoke hours after the Greens declared victory, ignoring calls to resign and vowing to “keep fighting”.
- Greens leader Zack Polanski said the result would “change the face of British politics”, while newly elected MP Ms Spencer said it meant there was “no place the Green Party can’t win”.
To talk IndependentLabor MP Brian Leishman called on Sir Keir to take action “for the good of the UK and the party”, while an unnamed MP from the party said: Sky News The Prime Minister must “own this disaster”.
Labor MP Karl Turner told the BBC: Today program: “It’s a disaster, isn’t it? That’s the truth. It can’t get any worse than this.”
Meanwhile, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest unions told Sir Keir to “stop listening to his rich friends” and called on Labor to “drop the gimmicks and get back to Labour”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “If Labor needed a further wake-up call, this is clearly one.”
“The Labor Party now needs to put the tricks aside and get back to being the Labor Party – not the new, not the game-playing Party, but the real Labor Party.”
The leader of the union, which donates money to Labour, added: “Stop listening to your rich friends and start listening to ordinary people.”
But Sir Keir stood firm in his position at the helm hours after the “disastrous” result in the former Labor safe seat.
Asked if he was considering resigning, Sir Keir said: “I entered politics at a late age to fight for change for people in need.
“I will continue to fight for these people as long as there is breath in my body.”
The victory is the Greens’ first in a parliamentary by-election and comes despite Labor winning Gorton and Denton by more than half the votes in 2024.
The Green Party’s Hannah Spencer received 14,980 votes, while Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin came second with 10,578 votes. Meanwhile, the Labor Party fell to third place with 9,364 votes.
In an emotional victory speech, Ms Spencer said people were “bleeding dry” and “tired of the hard work we do to make other people rich”.
The victory undermines Labour’s long-standing claim that beating Reform UK at the ballot box in May’s local elections is the only option; Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell previously admitted the Greens had “won the argument that they were best placed” to keep Nigel Farage’s party out of Gorton and Denton.
He insisted there was “no leadership contest” and that Sir Keir was “committed to his duty as leader of the Labor Party and our prime minister”.
Meanwhile, government minister Heidi Alexander has refused to “make a statement” regarding the decision to block Andy Burnham from standing.
He told Sky News: “Every single member of the cabinet backed Keir, the vast majority of Labor in parliament did the same. I think the public want us to focus on solving the problems in the country rather than fixating on ourselves.”
