Matt Goodwin, an academic-turned-Substacker who ran for Reform UK, received 10,578 votes (28.7 percent), sharply improving Reform’s result on 2024 but not doing enough to take the insurgent Farage-led party over the line. Angeliki Stogia, standing for Labour, bagged just 9,364 votes (25.4 percent).
The result represents a serious blow from the left for Starmer, who is battling tumbling poll ratings and major concerns over his leadership from his own MPs. The Green vote climbed 27.4 percentage points on 2024’s result, while Reform UK’s climbed by 14.6 percentage points.
By contrast, Labour’s share of the vote tumbled 25.4 percentage points on 2024’s general election result.
The turnout was 47.62 percent, slightly down from 47.8 percent at the general election.
“Working hard used to get you something,” Spencer said in a victory speech that majored on cost-of-living concerns and attacks on billionaires. “It got you a house, a nice life, holidays, it got you somewhere. But now working hard, what does that get you?”
‘Deeply disappointing’
It marks the second by-election defeat for Labour since Starmer took office, and makes the prime minister’s position in his own party more vulnerable. Labour had held the seat with one exception since 1906.