Starmer says Reform pursuing politics of ‘toxic division’ after Matt Goodwin unveiled as byelection candidate

Keir Starmer has accused Reform UK's candidate, Matthew Goodwin, in the upcoming Greater Manchester byelection of promoting divisive politics due to his past comments questioning the British identity of some UK-born ethnic minorities. Starmer is positioning Labour as the only party capable of stopping Reform, emphasizing Labour's focus on cost of living issues and contrasting it with what he sees as Reform's divisive approach. The byelection in Gorton and Denton follows Andy Burnham being blocked from running as the Labour candidate, leading the Green Party to believe they have a chance of winning. Starmer denies Burnham was warned in advance that he wouldn't be accepted as a candidate. Senior Labour figures are pushing for the party to quickly establish itself as the primary alternative to Reform.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories