Rayner tells Starmer to turn Left: By-election disaster puts rattled PM under pressure to change tack as one MP calls him 'Labour's interim leader'

The Daily Mail ^ | 27 Feb 2026 | JASON GROVES and CLAIRE ELLICOT and SOPHIE CHURCH

[MinorityRepublican]

Angela Rayner today led calls for Keir Starmer to drag Labour even further Left following its 'catastrophic' by-election defeat.

The former deputy prime minister said the disastrous result in the previously safe Labour seat of Gorton and Denton should serve as a 'wake-up call' for a party struggling to demonstrate 'the change that we promised'.

Ms Rayner, who is among the favourites to succeed Sir Keir if he is forced out in the coming months, said the party leadership had to be 'braver' and adopt a 'Labour agenda that puts people first' – code for a more Left-wing platform on tax and spending.

Labour's Angeliki Stogia trailed in a poor third behind the Greens and Reform in Gorton and Denton just days after the Prime Minister campaigned in the seat and claimed only Labour could defeat Nigel Farage's party.

Sir Keir appeared rattled by the scale of the defeat but insisted he would not resign. In a TV clip, he said he would fight on 'for as long as I've got breath in my body'.

But panicking Labour MPs urged him to lurch to the Left to take on the Greens before the party takes another battering at the local elections in May. Some called on him to resign.

Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell suggested the party should ditch efforts to match Mr Farage on issues such as immigration, saying 'we can't out-Reform Reform'.

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TOPICS: United Kingdom
KEYWORDS:

[Gay State Conservative]

Although I’m certainly no expert I do follow British politics more closely than many Americans. I sincerely hope I’m wrong but I think that Britain may have passed the point of no return.

[ClearCase_guy]

I’ve always found it interesting that in the US, when Reagan was president, I knew people who absolutely hated him. But, things went pretty well for us in the 80s and the US was well-positioned as we moved into the 90s. In hindsight, a lot of Americans (not all) recognize Reagan as a great president.

In the UK, a lot of people absolutely hated Margaret Thatcher. But, things seemed to go pretty well for the UK when she was PM and they seemed to be moving out of the shadow of a long string of socialist governments. In hindsight, I get the idea that nearly everyone in the UK hates Thatcher and sees her tenure as a very dark time in British history. Today, a great many of them long for socialist government and Islamist takeover.

We are not the same.

[MinorityRepublican]

In hindsight, I get the idea that nearly everyone in the UK hates Thatcher and sees her tenure as a very dark time in British history.

Evil Capitalist?

[Gay State Conservative]

IIRC Britain's population today is around 10% moslem. And we're talking about moslems from Pakistan and Bangladesh...the most backward and dangerous moslems you'll find anywhere on earth.

[butlerweave]

Left , he’s hanging on by his finger nails now ,LOL

[MinorityRepublican]

Charles and Camilla prepared food for Ramadan. In UK, Allah comes first. pic.twitter.com/vKqKIsOli9— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) February 27, 2026

[Mlheureux]

It’s hard to turn left when all the left turns have been taken. Adios UK, Hello Unitedstan.

[cross_bearer_02]

“Do you think we lost because people have grown tired of our platform?”
“No! It’s because we didn’t communism hard enough! More! MORE!”

[HYPOCRACY]

Disgusting holiday of fasting for half a day and gorging oneself in the evening. Really hard to fast for 10 hours. Everything in Islam is a mockery. King Tampon is a disgusting pig.

[Brian Griffin]

Maybe the King could buy him a prayer rug, he looks to be in need of one.

[technically right]

Between their mindless belief in net zero and importing third world believers in a rump religion, I don’t see this ending well at all for the Brits.