Sir Keir Starmer has urged Labour MPs to rally behind his leadership, appealing to what he called “the mainstream majority” as he sought to recover from a humiliating by-election defeat last week. In a speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party, the prime minister warned against the extremism of the Green Party and Reform UK, which came first and second respectively in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The by-election saw Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer win the seat, becoming the first Green MP to win a by-election and a seat in the north of England. Labour, which had held the constituency as its seventh safest seat, came third with 9,364 votes, trailing behind Reform UK. Spencer was sworn into Parliament on Monday, accompanied by her four greyhounds.
Addressing his MPs, Starmer said: “Politics is changing, and it's changing decisively. But I believe, and continue to believe, that there is a mainstream majority in this country who neither want Nigel Farage or Zack Polanski as their prime minister.” He highlighted Labour’s achievements under his leadership, including the Employment Rights Act, the Renters Rights Act, child poverty measures, NHS investment, and clean power initiatives.
While some Labour MPs remain critical, one MP described the meeting’s reception as “not a bad reception,” with applause for Starmer and some constructive criticism. The prime minister has faced plotting over his future after the party’s poor by-election showing, but his handling of Donald Trump’s war on Iran has bolstered his reputation among some colleagues.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has set a target for the Greens to replace Labour as the party of the left in British politics, adopting an overtly populist approach. The by-election defeat has intensified pressure on Starmer ahead of local and devolved elections on 7 May.
