Nigel Farage has mocked Sir Keir Starmer for failing to meet any ordinary voters during a visit to the Gorton and Denton by-election campaign, as the Reform UK leader claimed the Prime Minister was 'desperate' amid poor personal poll ratings. Speaking at a press conference in Birmingham, Farage said Starmer 'was kept in an enclosed room' and 'didn't get out and meet a single member of the public'.
The Prime Minister's surprise trip to the constituency on Monday saw him surrounded by Labour activists, candidate Angeliki Stogia, and deputy Lucy Powell inside a sports centre. Despite aides insisting he would meet voters, there is no evidence that happened. Starmer also spoke to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, whom he blocked from standing as the area's MP, but no images of the encounter were released.
Labour sources indicated the pair agreed on the need for unity against Reform, but one senior Labour backbencher suggested Starmer was kept away from the public for his own safety, saying: 'They probably did it to stop someone from throwing an egg at him.' In his speech, Starmer attacked the Green Party over drugs legalisation, claiming they wanted his teenage son to be able to buy heroin and crack cocaine.
The by-election, a traditional Labour stronghold, is now seen as a three-way fight with Reform and the Greens. Reform candidate Matt Goodwin has branded it a referendum on Starmer's leadership. The PM's decision to visit comes after he did not campaign in last year's Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where Reform won by six votes. Losing could spark speculation about his future, with local elections looming in May.
