Keir Starmer refuses to quit after Labour’s humiliating loss to the Greens in Gorton & Denton – a devastating blow that saw the party tumble from first to third. Despite calls for change from deputy leader Angela Rayner, Starmer insists he’ll keep battling, dismissing the defeat as a “disappointing” mid-term setback.
Rayner Demands Labour Get “Braver” – But Stops Short of Calling for Starmer’s Head
Angela Rayner issued a stark warning: “This result must be a wake-up call.” She urged Labour to listen, reflect, and deliver the change voters demand. “If we want to unrig the system, if we want to make the change we were sent into Government to make, we have to be braver,” she said. Yet, Rayner stopped short of demanding Starmer’s immediate resignation.
Green Shock Sees Labour Slammed in Historic By-election
- Hannah Spencer surged to victory with 14,980 votes, smashing Labour’s 13,000 majority from 2024.
- Reform’s Matt Goodwin came second with 10,578 votes, Labour’s Angeliki Stogia lagged behind on 9,364.
- The Greens celebrated their fifth MP and first-ever parliamentary by-election win.
Starmer loyalists and Labour rebels alike admit it’s a disaster. Backbencher Karl Turner called it Labour’s “worst result possible,” claiming Andy Burnham “would have won” and demanding a return to a more socialist Labour vision. Meanwhile, Richard Burgon blasted, “The blame lies squarely with Keir Starmer and his clique.”
Leadership Turmoil and Tory Jabs After Crushing Setback
Labour insiders reckon Starmer is safe – for now – as no clear rival emerges. Andy Burnham isn’t an MP, Rayner battles tax issues, and Wes Streeting is tainted by ties to Lord Mandelson. But tensions boil over as Starmer allegedly blocked Burnham from a run, exposing his vulnerability. “Starmer’s intervention was a huge error showing just how weak he is,” said MP Kate Osborne.
Meanwhile, Tory voices seize on the chaos. Conservative spokesman declared, “Keir Starmer has killed the Labour Party,” after the party lost a near-century-old safe seat. Kemi Badenoch slammed Labour’s “monster of harvesting Muslim community bloc votes” which backfired spectacularly.
Electoral Controversy and Growing Doubts Over Starmer
Reports of “family voting” in the Muslim-majority constituency sparked accusations of cheating, with Nigel Farage blasting “sectarianism” and questioning the election’s integrity. Democracy Volunteers warned of “the highest levels of family voting in a decade.” Manchester City Council denied any issues, but Labour’s chair Anna Turley called the reports “extremely worrying.”
Labour’s shake-up showdown looms as May’s local elections approach. Will Starmer cling on, or is this the beginning of the end?
