British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday vowed to confront political “extremes” across Britain’s ideological range after his ruling Labour Party suffered an unexpected defeat in a parliamentary by-election considered one of its safest bastions, sparking renewed pressure on his leadership just two years after a landslide national election victory.
The outcome of the parliamentary by-election in the constituency of Gorton and Denton, situated in the northwest of England in the region of Greater Manchester, was a surprise win for Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, a notable breakthrough for the Green Party in northern England, a region where voter loyalty is shifting, according to analysts, to reshape Britain’s political landscape.
The populist Reform UK, headed by Nigel Farage, came second, while Labour came third in a constituency that had been a Labour stronghold for decades.
According to the results, the Greens had won 40.7%, followed by the Reform Party with 28.7%, while the Labour Party had 25.4%.
Read Also: Starmer Calls For Plea Over Ratcliffe’s Immigration Remarks
In the general election held in 2024, the Labour Party had won over half of the ballots in the same area, demonstrating the extent of the swing against the ruling party.
In an address to the press after the election, Starmer stated, “Well, it’s very disappointing, isn’t it? But I think people get fed up with governments between general elections, and we’re not immune from that.”
However, he promised to continue with the reforms that the Labour Party had promised in its return to power, stating, “I will go on fighting against the extremes in politics, the extremes on the right and the extremes on the left, and I will go on governing as long as I’ve got breath in my body.”
The result comes after weeks of internal tensions within the party and increased political pressure.
There have been doubts raised about the strategic decisions made by the party, especially regarding the campaign’s focus on battling Reform rather than the Green Party, who were active in local organization and mobilized support from young and environmentally conscious citizens.
A Labour Party member, who wished to remain anonymous, declared that the party made the election a choice between unity and division, but incorrectly identified the party that was the greatest threat to their political campaign.
Starmer himself invested political capital in this election, having refused to let Andy Burnham, a well-known figure and current Mayor of Greater Manchester, stand for the party and having made a visit to the constituency earlier this week to boost support for the party.
The result of this election has led to renewed debate within the party regarding the campaign strategy leading up to the nationwide local and regional elections scheduled to take place in May, where party officials predict they will lose.
The by-election also reflects the controversy surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington by Starmer.
Labour critics had opposed the appointment of the ambassador, citing the past relationship between Peter Mandelson and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Read Also: Starmer Refuses To Resign As Epstein‑Mandelson Scandal Surge
Although the leadership of the Labour Party has dismissed the demands for the resignation of the current prime minister, the situation marked the most politically challenging time for Starmer’s leadership.
For the Greens, the by-election win marks an expansion of the party’s parliamentary representation. Currently, the Green Party has five representatives in the 650-seat House of Commons, the best result since the formation of the Green Party.
Green co-leader Zack Polanski said the result indicated the public’s interest in alternatives to the two-party dominance in the past, adding that the party is likely to win between 30 and 50 seats in the next general election, which is scheduled for mid-August 2029 at the latest.
Political analysts said that the outcome was a symptom of a larger volatility among British voters. “It was a seismic moment, a level of uncertainty in British politics not seen since the end of World War II.
This kind of fragmentation has appeared in other Western democracies as people begin to turn away from traditional party allegiances,” said John Curtice, a polling expert.
Gorton and Denton traditionally comprised part of the “Red Wall” – a group of safe Labour seats that relied on working-class support.
Recent elections have demonstrated that voting behavior was becoming more fluid in relation to economic factors, identity politics, and foreign policy debates.
Farage rejected the outcome, claiming without evidence that the vote was based on “sectarian voting and cheating.” Britain’s Electoral Commission confirmed that it was aware of evidence pointing to a case of “family voting,” which is a violation of voting secrecy laws.
The Electoral Commission also urged anyone who suspected a crime to report it to the police but did not confirm any investigation.
