What's happened
A by-election in Gorton and Denton on 26 February could signal shifts in Labour support amid internal party tensions and rising populist challenges. The race is complicated by the absence of popular candidate Andy Burnham and the presence of multiple parties including Reform UK and the Greens.
What's behind the headline?
The Gorton byelection exemplifies the fracturing of traditional Labour support in northern England. The absence of Andy Burnham, a highly popular figure locally, significantly weakens Labour's position, making the race highly competitive. Reform UK and the Greens are capitalizing on disillusionment with Labour, especially over national issues like Gaza, which have inflamed local communities. The race could serve as a referendum on Keir Starmer's leadership and Labour's broader strategy. The outcome will likely influence Labour's approach to candidate selection and campaign messaging, especially in diverse, working-class areas where populist and identity politics are gaining ground. The election's timing, potentially before May, adds strategic importance, as it could foreshadow wider electoral trends and party fortunes.
What the papers say
Sky News highlights the internal party struggles and the potential for a Labour defeat without Burnham's star power, emphasizing the complex local dynamics and national issues influencing voter behavior. The Guardian provides context on the internal Labour disputes, the significance of the seat's demographics, and the rise of populist parties like Reform UK and the Greens, illustrating the broader political fragmentation and disillusionment in the region. Both sources underscore the importance of local figures and national issues shaping this pivotal byelection, which could have repercussions for Labour's future in northern England.
How we got here
The upcoming byelection follows the resignation of Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, whose leaked WhatsApp messages sparked local anger. The seat, historically Labour since before WWII, is now contested amid national political turbulence, with internal party disputes over candidate selection and the influence of national issues like Gaza impacting voter sentiment.
Go deeper
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The Labour Party, commonly Labour, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Conservative Party. It sits on the centre-left of the left–right political spectrum, and has been described as an alliance of social democr
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Andrew Murray Burnham is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. He attended Gordon Brown’s Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2007 to 2008 and served in the Cabinet as Culture Secretary f
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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Reform UK is a populist political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded as The Brexit Party with a focus on Euroscepticism in November 2018, until being renamed on 6 January 2021.
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Zack Polanski is a Green Party of England and Wales politician who has been a member of the London Assembly since May 2021. Polanski is also the national spokesperson for the Green Party for Democracy & Citizen Engagement.