Farage and Polanski Target Hundreds of Seats as Labour Faces 'Electoral Valley of Death'
Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski are setting their sights on hundreds of seats in May's local elections, aiming to capitalise on voters decisively rejecting Keir Starmer at the polls. This follows Labour's crushing defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which critics describe as the most perilous moment yet of Starmer's premiership, plunging the party into an 'electoral Valley of Death'.
Historic Green Victory and Reform Surge
The Green Party's Hannah Spencer stormed to victory in the Greater Manchester constituency, a seat that had long been one of Labour's safest. Labour finished in a dismal third place behind Reform UK, with Spencer securing 40.7% of the vote and a record-breaking swing of 27.5%. Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, hailed this as a historic result, noting the seat was only 127th on their target list.
Polanski declared: 'There are now no no-go areas for the Green Party. We will do it again at the local elections in May.' He predicted a 'tidal wave' of Green MPs at the next general election, arguing that voters want an alternative to the failing government and to reject Reform's divisive policies.
Labour's Apocalyptic Warning
University of Manchester professor Rob Ford warned that Labour has 'fallen into the electoral Valley of Death', being rejected from the centre, right, and now left. He stated that the May elections 'may become apocalyptic' if the Greens continue their momentum, particularly in Green-friendly territories like inner London and metropolitan areas.
Ford added that Labour risks being wiped out by Reform in 'red wall' type metros such as Barnsley, Calderdale, Wakefield, and Sunderland, while the Greens threaten the emerging 'green wall'—diverse, student-heavy Labour areas where Reform poses no threat.
Reform UK's Confident Stance
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted on social media: 'Roll on the elections on May 7. It will be goodbye Starmer and goodbye to the Tory party.' Reform's second-placed candidate, Matthew Goodwin, claimed to have embarrassed Labour in one of their strongest seats and expressed confidence that similar results can be achieved elsewhere.
Looking ahead to the local elections, Goodwin said: 'I think if we can do this here, we can do this pretty much anywhere.'
Labour's Dread and Internal Concerns
Sir Keir Starmer vowed to 'keep fighting' and defended Labour's candidate selection, despite questions about blocking Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing. However, Labour MPs are approaching the local elections with dread. Southport MP Patrick Hurley told the Daily Mail: 'I fully expect that the local elections coming up will be very, very, very difficult for us and we may well lose very hard working and good councillors.'
Another Labour MP described May's elections as 'a bit of a turkey shoot', expecting losses to various parties: Reform in post-industrial places, Greens in inner-city areas, Independents in some locales, and even a potential Tory comeback in others.
Broader Implications and Polling Data
The fallout is underscored by polling from More in Common, revealing that Labour has only lost more votes in by-elections three times since 2000. The Greens are confident of winning their first directly elected mayor in Hackney in May and hope for a historic breakthrough in the Senedd elections in Wales.
As the political landscape shifts, Labour faces a multifaceted challenge, with critics warning that the local elections could prove catastrophic unless the party addresses its vulnerabilities across the spectrum.
