Nigel Farage asks the crudest question: are you with me or against me? Opinion Calling a by-election in Clacton is a new tactic but Nigel Farage’s strategy is the same: simplify, polarise, demonise, says Eliot Wilson Whatever your opinion of Nigel Farage – and there’s a broad spectrum – he knows how to put on a show. The Reform UK leader has always been more Barnum than Bismarck, and [...]
Gorton and Denton proves messy, multi-party politics is here to stay Opinion A resounding win for the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election reveals just how fractured and angry voters are becoming, writes Scarlett Maguire In what we may now distantly remember as ‘ordinary times’ Labour should never have lost Gorton and Denton, even on a bad day, let alone finished third on less than 10,000 [...]
Burnham would ‘probably’ have won by-election, says Powell Politics Andy Burnham would have won the Gorton and Denton by-election, Labour’s deputy leader said as she called for the party to make more use of the Greater Manchester mayor. Labour fell to third in the previously rock-solid seat on Thursday, with the Greens winning a fifth seat in Parliament and Reform UK coming second. The [...]
Starmer defends Burnham snub: ‘The fight is with Reform’ January 26, 2026 Keir Starmer has defended a decision to block Andy Burnham from standing as a candidate to run as an MP in an upcoming by-election, claiming political resources should be allocated towards Labour’s “fight with Reform”. Less than a day after Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) – which Starmer is a member of – voted 8-1 [...]
Labour ruling committee block Andy Burnham from by-election race January 25, 2026 Andy Burnham has been blocked from running as the Labour candidate in the forthcoming by-election in the North West. The Manchester Mayor lodged his request for selection in the Gorton and Denton race on Saturday following Andrew Gwynne announcing his intention to step down. Speculation had mounted Burnham would face opposition from Labour’s governing body [...]
Runcorn by-election: Reform UK reveal Sarah Pochin as candidate March 24, 2025 Reform UK have unveiled Sarah Pochin as their candidate for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election ahead of their first major electoral test since the general election. The party announced on Monday that the former magistrate would stand in the upcoming ballot to replace former MP Mike Amesbury, who stood down following his assault conviction. Pochin, [...]
Labour claims victory in Blackpool South by-election in bruising night for Tories May 3, 2024 Tory deputy chair Angela Richardson told the BBC: “The result was not unexpected. I think, given the circumstances that caused the by-election in the first place, it was always going to be difficult for the Conservatives.”