Gorton and Denton: Starmer humiliated as Labour come third in crushing defeat | EUROtoday

The Green Party has snatched the previously secure seat of Gorton and Denton away from Labour in a humiliating defeat for Sir Keir Starmer, which can gasoline additional questions over his management of the occasion.

The outcome, which noticed Labour’s Angeliki Stogia are available third, is a serious blow to the prime minister’s struggling authority, amid devastating approval scores and mounting concern over the route of presidency.

Top pollster Professor Sir John Curtice described the outcome as “seismic” and “means the future of British politics is now even more uncertain than it was already”.

Hannah Spencer – a councillor and plumber – acquired 14,980 votes, whereas Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin got here second with 10,578. Meanwhile, Labour slumped to 3rd place with 9,364 votes, down from 18,555 within the 2024 common election, when the turnout was equally excessive.

Conservative candidate Charlotte Cadden acquired simply 706 votes, with the Liberal Democrats getting 653.

The victory is the Greens’ first ever win in a parliamentary by-election and comes regardless of Labour having gained Gorton and Denton in 2024 with greater than half the vote within the previously secure seat.

It represents the sixth largest Labour majority to be overturned at a by-election for the reason that Second World War.

The outcome got here after the occasion’s deputy chief Lucy Powell appeared to confess defeat within the early hours of the morning, saying Mr Polanski had gained the “argument that they were best placed” to maintain Reform out within the space.

Labour has beforehand sought to pitch itself as the one choice for anti-Reform voters, however the loss will now undermine that declare in future elections, as an alternative boosting the Greens’ credibility and chipping away at Labour’s ailing help base.

Sir Keir’s choice to dam potential management rival Andy Burnham from working within the contest – which was triggered by former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne standing down – may also probably face renewed scrutiny.

In an emotional victory speech, Ms Spencer mentioned folks had been being “bled dry” and had been “sick of our hard work making other people rich”.

The 34-year-old, who turns into the Green Party’s fifth MP, praised her occasion’s “hopeful campaign” and mentioned “we have shown that we don’t have to accept being turned against each other”.

Arguing that the Greens had “defeated the parties of billionaire donors”, she mentioned: “I won’t accept this victory tonight without calling out politicians and divisive figures who constantly scapegoat and blame our communities for all the problems in society.”

Hailing the swing of 27.5 per cent from Labour to the Greens, Mr Polanski mentioned: “If we see a swing like this at the next general election, there will be a tidal wave of new Green MPs.”

Labour’s chair Anna Turley mentioned the outcome was “clearly disappointing” however tried to play off the outcome as a typical problem confronted by governing events.

“By-elections are normally difficult for the party of government, and this election was no different”, she mentioned, including: “We have had thousands of conversations over the last few weeks and we know the majority of voters here did not want the poisonous politics of Nigel Farage and Reform.”

Labour MPs rapidly pinned the blame on Sir Keir and his management after 20 months of ache in authorities.

Leeds MP Richard Burgon advised The Independent the outcome was “absolutely terrible”.

He mentioned: “Blame for Labour’s defeat lies squarely with Keir Starmer and his clique. They put factional interests over having the candidate best placed to win, Andy Burnham.

“If Labour is to be the ‘Stop Reform’ party, then the leadership must stop treating progressive voters with contempt – and start appealing to them.”

Karl Turner advised Times Radio that tonight’s outcome, which noticed Sir Keir Starmer’s occasion are available third behind the Green Party and Reform, is “the worst result the Labour Party could have ever had”.

“We are in a position where we can’t out-left-wing the Greens, we tried to out-right-wing Reform on immigration, other such matters. My message to Keir, the prime minister, is this. Why don’t we try to be Labour?” he mentioned.

But Reform UK chief Nigel Farage mentioned the election outcome was a “victory for sectarian voting and cheating”.

Posting on X, he added: “Matt Goodwin was a great candidate for us. Roll on the elections on May 7th. It will be goodbye Starmer and goodbye to the Tory party.”

It got here after a report by election observer group Democracy Volunteers warned of excessive ranges of “family voting” within the by-election, claiming to have witnessed the observe in 68 per cent of twenty-two polling stations monitored.

Family voting – the place two voters both confer, collude or direct one another on voting – was made unlawful by the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.

The organisation mentioned it attended 22 of the 45 polling stations within the constituency, spending 30 to 45 minutes in every, and witnessed household voting in 15 of the 22 polling stations noticed.

A spokesperson for the Conservative Party, which got here a distant fourth, mentioned: “Keir Starmer has killed the Labour Party.

“In losing one of Labour’s safest seats, in a constituency that has returned Labour MPs for almost a century, Starmer has shown he no longer commands the support of Labour voters and is now a lame duck leader.”

Professor Curtice advised the BBC that the outcome will increase questions on Sir Keir’s continued management however had wider implications.

“Doubtless the result will raise fresh questions in Labour MPs minds as to whether Sir Keir Starmer should remain prime minister.

“Yet it would be a mistake to believe the result in Gorton and Denton simply reflects disappointment with the leadership he and his government have provided since the 2024 election.

“Rather the by-election confirmed the message of the 2024 election that two of the key foundations of Labour’s traditional electoral coalition have crumbled away.”