Lee Anderson faced criticism after enthusiastically sharing images of himself campaigning for a by-election in the incorrect area. The Reform chief whip posted photos of himself and supporters outside Stanley House Function Rooms, mistakenly believing it was in the Gorton and Denton constituency when, in fact, it is located in Angela Rayner’s Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
In his post, Mr. Anderson expressed confidence in the upcoming contested seat of Gorton & Denton, stating that Reform UK is unafraid of any political party. However, upon realizing the error, Angela Rayner took a jab at Farage’s Reform party, suggesting they were too preoccupied with recruiting former Tories to properly locate constituencies on a map.
The photos were shared by Mr. Anderson on a Saturday, with a Boundary Commission map confirming the location’s proximity to the contested constituency. Ms. Rayner’s criticism came after Suella Braverman, a former Home Secretary, joined Nigel Farage’s Reform party, adding to the list of Tory defectors including Robert Jenrick, Andrew Rosindell, Danny Kruger, and Mr. Anderson.
The upcoming by-election, scheduled for February 26, was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Andrew Gwynne due to health reasons. His departure has sparked speculation about Andy Burnham’s return to Westminster, despite Labour’s National Executive Committee rejecting his candidacy bid for the by-election.
Keir Starmer called for unity among Labour MPs in the face of the Reform UK challenge, emphasizing the need to focus resources on essential elections rather than unnecessary ones like the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham refrained from further comments on the party’s internal discord, urging Labour MPs to concentrate on the upcoming by-election.
Downplaying any rift with Andy Burnham, Keir Starmer praised Burnham’s performance as the Mayor of Manchester but cautioned against diverting resources towards non-essential elections. He stressed the importance of focusing resources on crucial elections to secure victories for the party.