Labour’s candidate in Gorton and Denton, Angeliki Stogia, claimed Nigel Farage’s party had no plan for the area, and in a message to the Greens, vowed that only she could stop them
Reform UK has been accused of spreading division and not understanding the constituency ahead of a crucial by-election.
Labour‘s candidate in Gorton and Denton, Angeliki Stogia, claimed Nigel Farage’s party had no plan for the area, and in a message to the Greens, vowed that only she could stop them. Ms Stogia’s selection came after a furious civil war within the party, after Labour chiefs blocked Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing.
Speaking to The Mirror in Longsight, Manchester, she accused her Reform counterpart, Matthew Goodwin of seeking to divide the community. She said: “I think he needs to knock some doors, and then he’s going to get a real flavour about what people think in this constituency. I don’t think he understands people here. It only takes a walk down Market Street to see what communities live in the constituency.
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“What is his plan for Denton? What is his plan for the rest of the constituency? I am local, and this is personal to me, this is a threat of division and shouting from the sidelines, and this is affecting the community. If Reform gets in, then they’re not going to deliver. They’re not going to serve the people.”
It comes as Keir Starmer grapples with a backlash over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Despite this, Ms Stogia insisted it was not coming up on the doorstep.
She said: “People are speaking about the cost of living, we spoke to a mum who was talking about dentist appointments, and a pensioner that was talking about heating and the bills. These are the things that people are talking about, but I understand the importance of this issue, Keir is dealing with it, and my thoughts are with the victims.”
There was also praise for Mr Burnham, who has been frequently out campaigning for Ms Stogia, despite his own ambitions being curtailed. She said: “Andy Burnham was here less than 24 hours after my selection, he was supportive. I’ve worked together with Andy. I have a really good working relationship with him, we went out, he was there to give me his full support, we went out door knocking together, and he’s calling activists to come and support me.
“It means a lot. It means that we all need to understand we need to move on and deliver for the people that both Andy and I serve, and the best way is someone with a track record that can hit the ground running.” The crunch by-election will take place on February 26 after suspended Labour MP Andrew Gwynne announced he was stepping down.
In a plea to those considering voting Green, Ms Stogia called out their claim that Labour could come third in the constituency. She said: “The Greens are letting me down, when you talk about progressive politics, then let Reform in the back door by putting out dodgy leaflets and dodgy charts. It’s not the right look.”