"Blasting away one of Labour's biggest majorities shows that under the more left-populist leadership of Zack Polanski, the Greens are now playing in a different political league. Polanski and the party's new MP, Hannah Spencer, were explicit that they do not see this as a self-contained local contest but as the blueprint for all sorts of other parts of the country."
"Labour politicians have over the past year or so become comfortable with the idea that Reform UK could usurp the Conservatives as the main force on the right of British politics. Now they are confronted with the niggling possibility that something similar could be happening on their side of the political spectrum too."
"Nevertheless, the call from Angela Rayner, Sir Keir's former deputy, for Labour to take this as a 'wake up call' and become 'braver' was notably forthright."
The Green Party achieved a historic victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, their first Westminster win after previously reaching only 10% in a 2023 Somerset contest. Under Zack Polanski's left-populist leadership, the party views this as a blueprint for expansion across the country rather than an isolated local success. Labour MPs fear the Greens could replicate Reform UK's challenge to the Conservatives by becoming the dominant force on the left. While no immediate leadership crisis appears imminent, senior figures like Angela Rayner have called for Labour to treat this as a wake-up call to adopt bolder policies. The result highlights potential significant realignment in British politics.
#green-party-victory #labour-political-crisis #british-electoral-realignment #left-wing-politics #by-election-analysis
Read at www.bbc.com
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