Lucy Powell appears to concede defeat in Gorton and Denton by-election

Labour’s Deputy leader Lucy Powell has appeared to concede defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election. 

Speaking to Sky News, Powell referred to Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, in the past tense, saying “I think she would have been a fantastic MP.”

She went on to further hint at a Labour defeat, adding that “the Greens have been able to win the argument better than we have.” 

When asked why the Labour Party appear to have lost this election, she said it was clear that Labour needed to focus on showing their values “more strongly and clearly.”

She defended the party’s National Executive Committee’s decision to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from running in the election, stating that no one wanted to win this seat more than Burnham and Prime Minister Kier Starmer, stating that they, alongside other senior figures of the Labour Party, have all pulled together to give the party as high a chance as possible to win this seat.

On the Prime Minister’s future, Powell appeared to defend Starmer, stating that there will be “no leadership contest.”

Powell further defended Labour’s predicted defeat in this by-election, saying that “smaller parties often do well in by-elections”, but “they don’t often go on to form governments.”

The MP for Manchester Central said Labour’s focus now is to make sure the government express clearly to the public their “Labour values” in order to regain public support. Powell said examples of the government demonstrating these Labour values include the nationalising of the railways, bringing in the Employment Rights Act, cutting energy bills and scrapping the two child benefit cap.

The by-election count continues, stay updated by following the Roch Valley Radio live blog here.