The Japan Times - UK Labour party loses parliamentary seat to left-wing Greens

Labour also finished behind the hard-right Reform UK party in the by-election for the parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton in Manchester, as the country’s traditional two-party system fractures.

The third-place finish in a seat that Labour has dominated for decades is likely to increase chatter about how much longer the 63-year-old Starmer can stay in office.

It also suggests that Britons appear more willing to look towards insurgent parties for answers on long-standing, hot-button issues like the high cost of living and irregular immigration.

Labour won the constituency with almost 51 percent of the vote at the July 2024 general election that swept Starmer to power and ousted the Conservatives from 14 consecutive years in office.

But the government has since been beset by numerous policy reversals and several rows, including over the appointment of Peter Mandelson, an associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain's ambassador to Washington.

Polls suggest Starmer is the most unpopular British prime minister since surveys began and earlier this month he faced down calls from within his own party to resign.

Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and plasterer won with almost 15,000 votes and becomes the Green’s fifth MP in the 650-seat British parliament.

Reform candidate Matt Goodwin, a 44-year-old political scientist registered some 10,500 votes, while Labour won just over 9,300.

The vote was triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne on health grounds.

Starmer has spent much of his time in office targeting Reform, which leads national polls, by toughening Labour’s immigration policies.

But the stance has alienated elements of the party's left-wing base and young people, who appear to be turning towards the Greens, whose leader Zack Polanski is also appealing to pro-Palestinian supporters.

"The Green Party is offering hope to the wider society, marginalised people, and I think they're the choice for working people," writer Matt Alton, 31, told AFP on Thursday after casting his ballot.

Anti-immigration Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, have led national surveys for over a year. The next general election is not expected until 2029.

Labour's candidate, Angeliki Stogia, was selected to run after the party's ruling body blocked the candidacy of popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

Burnham's bid to become an MP was widely seen as a precursor for a potential leadership challenge from the party's left against Starmer, who hails from the party's centre right.

Starmer faces another critical period in May with elections in Scotland, Wales and London that pollsters predict will be painful for Labour.

T.Shimizu--JT