Reform is straight out of the traps to call for a by-election in Mike Amesbury’s constituency of Runcorn & Helsby. Chairman Zia Yusuf says “the great people of Runcorn deserve far better than this. We call on Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held.” Otherwise it’s a wait for the recall petition…
Bookmaker Star Sports have some odds on a potential by-election:
Reform was second at the general election last year and have performed well nationally since. A nearby council by-election saw Farage’s party pick up a seat from Labour. Reform leaflets have been circulating (featuring photos of Amesbury) heavily since mid-November – activists have campaigned there every weekend since October’s altercation and party HQ says they are “throwing the kitchen sink” at the seat. Runcorn’s predecessor seat Weaver Vale voted Tory twice in the last decade. There may not be much love for Starmer locally, but a 14,696 Labour majority is a daunting one to overturn…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”