𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Blocking Andy Burnham from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton & Denton by-election was “a catastrophic error”, Keir Starmer has been told. And activists called for “an immediate and fundamental reset”.

The comments came from a group called Mainstream, which is backed by a number of MPs – and by Mr Burnham himself. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who was blocked from standing in the by-election, was one of the founders of Mainstream earlier this year, along with Labour MPs Clive Efford, Paula Barker, Clive Lewis, Olivia Blake, Alex Sobel, Dawn Butler, Rachael Maskell, Simon Opher, Chris Hinchliff and Peter Lamb.

It’s unclear whether the politicians support the statement issued today. But Mainstream issued a hard-hitting response to Labour’s by-election loss, after the party’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, came third.

It said: “The Gorton and Denton result is an absolute disaster for Labour. Clearly, we now risk no longer being seen as the natural home for progressive voters.”

“This loss was avoidable. Angeliki, members and our party staff worked tirelessly, but our leader and sections of the NEC blocked the one candidate who could have won it for us. That decision now looks like a catastrophic error.

“We need an immediate and fundamental reset now.”

The leader of the biggest union affiliated to Labour said the byelection defeat was a “wake-up call” for the party.

Writing on social media, Sharon Graham of Unite said: “If Labour needed any further wake up calls – this is clearly one. Labour need to now ditch the gimmicks and get back to being Labour – not new, not one that plays games, but real Labour.

“Workers and families are hurting. We have a cost-of-living crisis largely being ignored and investment in jobs for the here-and-now being blocked by a Treasury that doesn’t seem to understand the basics of what is needed to build Britain.

“Stop listening your rich mates and start listening to everyday people.”

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The Green Party has won its first ever parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, dealing a bitter blow to Sir Keir Starmer.

Labour’s defeat, trailing in third behind Zack Polanski’s Greens and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the previously rock-solid Greater Manchester constituency, will pile pressure on the Prime Minister.

Hannah Spencer, a councillor and plumber, emerged victorious for the Greens, with 14,980 votes and a majority of 4,402 votes.

Reform UK’s candidate Matt Goodwin got 10,578 votes, with Labour’s Angeliki Stogia trailing on 9,364, down from 18,555 in the 2024 general election, when the turnout was similarly high.

Conservative candidate Charlotte Cadden received just 706 votes, with the Liberal Democrats getting 653.