Labour deployed a record number of volunteers to Gorton & Denton for a by-election in which it would record a 25.4 percentage point downward swing. Maybe try keeping the Labour activists away next time?
Latest minutes of Labour’s National Executive Committee meeting last week, released today by member Ann Black, detail the figures:
“General secretary Hollie Ridley thanked everyone who helped in the Gorton & Denton by-election and shared their disappointment. Record numbers of volunteers joined the campaign, with more than 1,000 out on polling day alone.”
Labour’s Angeliki Stogia came third with only 9,364 votes compared to the 18,555 won by Andrew Gwynne in 2024. Could Burnham have swung it… they’ll never know…
At the same meeting party treasurer Mike Payne said “continued to face political, financial and organisational challenges, with many factors beyond our control.” To add insult to injury between January and February “nearly 900 people complained [to the party] about the prime minister, the cabinet, or government policy or strategy.” Guido would like to lodge some constructive criticism of: all of the above…
Black appeared to suggest that the Unite union was suggesting that the funding taps would re-open once disputes were happily resolved:
“Unite representatives explained their members’ decision to reduce funding for the party, and resolving the long-running Birmingham bin strike would clearly help relations with all the unions.”
Labour is also feeling the burn from its election cancellation U-turn as it scrambles to mobilise ground campaigns. Black said: “Where councils face reorganisation some Labour leaders were advised to ask for elections to be postponed, took the flak for denying democracy, and then had to rearrange plans hastily when the elections were uncancelled.” They’re in the Steve Weeds…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”