Keir Starmer has described the upcoming byelection in Gorton and Denton as a vote on what he terms 'true patriotism', saying that Labour is the only party capable of defeating Reform UK's hard-right agenda.
The Prime Minister made these comments during his visit to Japan, criticizing Nigel Farage's party and viewing the contest as a two-way battle between Labour and Reform. Starmer stated that Tommy Robinson's support for Matt Goodwin, the Reform candidate, highlights the poisonous division that Reform intends to inject into the byelection.
Labour has selected Angeliki Stogia, a Manchester city councillor, as its candidate in the byelection. In contrast, the Greens have chosen Hannah Spencer, a plumber and councillor in Trafford, but it appears they are not taking the contest seriously, with leader Zack Polanski stating that they see this as an opportunity for a "turning point" rather than a genuine competition.
Meanwhile, Reform has selected Matt Goodwin, a former academic turned hard-right activist and GB News presenter. The Conservative Party remains silent on the matter.
Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell praised Stogia, calling her a "local girl" who has been delivering for people in Manchester for years. Labour chief whip Jonathan Reynolds stated that there was no complacency about the challenge ahead but that the party was ready to defend its position.
The byelection is triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne due to ill health, and it is seen as an opportunity for Labour to demonstrate its resilience in a constituency where Burnham had hoped to make his mark.
The Prime Minister made these comments during his visit to Japan, criticizing Nigel Farage's party and viewing the contest as a two-way battle between Labour and Reform. Starmer stated that Tommy Robinson's support for Matt Goodwin, the Reform candidate, highlights the poisonous division that Reform intends to inject into the byelection.
Labour has selected Angeliki Stogia, a Manchester city councillor, as its candidate in the byelection. In contrast, the Greens have chosen Hannah Spencer, a plumber and councillor in Trafford, but it appears they are not taking the contest seriously, with leader Zack Polanski stating that they see this as an opportunity for a "turning point" rather than a genuine competition.
Meanwhile, Reform has selected Matt Goodwin, a former academic turned hard-right activist and GB News presenter. The Conservative Party remains silent on the matter.
Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell praised Stogia, calling her a "local girl" who has been delivering for people in Manchester for years. Labour chief whip Jonathan Reynolds stated that there was no complacency about the challenge ahead but that the party was ready to defend its position.
The byelection is triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne due to ill health, and it is seen as an opportunity for Labour to demonstrate its resilience in a constituency where Burnham had hoped to make his mark.
. Keir Starmer calling out Reform UK's hard-right agenda as "true patriotism"? Sounds like a strong stance to me, especially given the current state of politics. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but I think Labour has their work cut out for them. Angeliki Stogia seems like a solid choice, and Lucy Powell's praise for her is well-deserved 
. Let's just hope it doesn't get too heated - we don't need any unnecessary drama 
. The Greens are being a bit wishy-washy, which might not be the best strategy in this case 
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it's literally the most adorable thing I've ever seen online and now I'm thinking about how much love and care we should be showing to our community members who need it... like Andrew Gwynne, poor guy 
hope Angeliki Stogia can bring some positivity to the constituency and by extension, the whole country 
. This whole thing feels too scripted, too rehearsed... mark my words, there's more to this byelection than meets the eye 
. It feels like they're not taking this byelection seriously at all.
. Are they really that confident in their own abilities to take down Reform UK? Or are they just waiting for someone else to make a move? The dynamics around this byelection are definitely interesting, but I need more convincing that anyone's going to come out on top 
keir starmer's all about unity and standing up against that toxic reform uk agenda. it's clear they're going head-to-head with labour, but i gotta say, matt goodwin just gave me major ick vibes 
as a local councillor, angeliki stogia is gonna crush it in gorton & denton. the greens seem to be taking this one a bit lightly, which is kinda weird... like, aren't they taking this seriously? 
Matt Goodwin seems like a pretty polarizing figure... how's Tommy Robinson's endorsement helping Reform UK? 
And what about Andrew Gwynne's resignation? Is he really ill, or was there something else going on that made him quit? 
. This byelection in Gorton and Denton is already looking super toxic 
. Labour thinks they're the only ones who can stop Reform's hard-right agenda, but I'm not sure if they've got this one in the bag... 
Like, who's ready for some patriotic politics, am I right? 
Reform UK thinks they're gonna inject some "poison" into the mix, but I think Labour just needs to "dial up the drama" and get ready for a wild ride. Meanwhile, the Greens are like, "Hey, we're not even trying... oh wait, we're just here for the 'turning point' 
. Tommy Robinson's supporting Matt Goodwin? That's some next-level "reform"... in the sense that they want to reform our collective sanity 
reform uk's agenda sounds super divisive and not exactly what you'd call patriotic 
Reform UK's hard-right agenda is seriously worrying tho, what's next? 
Matt Goodwin's affiliation with Tommy Robinson is a major red flag