Badenoch Says Labour ‘Bitten’ by Its Own Tactics After Shock Green Win

Badenoch Says Labour ‘Bitten’ by Its Own Tactics After Shock Green Win

Tory Leader Blames ‘Bloc Vote Politics’ for Gorton Upset

Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of being bitten by the “monster” of harvesting Muslim bloc votes after the Green Party of England and Wales secured a shock by-election victory in Gorton and Denton.

The Conservative leader said Labour had long relied on identity-based campaigning and warned that “grievance politics” risked undermining Britain’s social cohesion.

Her remarks followed a dramatic defeat for Keir Starmer’s party in what had been considered a traditional stronghold.

Allegations of ‘Family Voting’ Spark Calls for Probe

The row intensified after monitoring group Democracy Volunteers reported what it described as unusually high levels of illegal “family voting” — where individuals accompany voters into booths with the intention of influencing their choice.

The practice was explicitly outlawed under the 2023 Ballot Secrecy Act.

Democracy Volunteers said it observed family voting in 68% of polling stations it attended, affecting 12% of voters in its sample — figures it described as the highest in its 10-year history of UK election monitoring.

The Electoral Commission urged anyone suspecting offences to contact police, while Manchester City Council insisted no formal complaints had been reported during polling hours.

Reform and Farage Decry ‘Sectarian’ Politics

Nigel Farage claimed the findings raised “serious questions” about electoral integrity in predominantly Muslim areas, while Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin described the result as a product of “dangerous sectarianism.”

Reform UK chairman David Bull said the party was not formally challenging the result but called for any abuses to be “stamped out,” acknowledging the alleged irregularities were unlikely to have changed the outcome.

Labour Faces Internal Fallout

Senior Labour figures have called for an investigation into the claims. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it would be right for the appropriate authorities to examine the reports.

Despite the humiliating loss, Starmer insisted he would “fight on,” describing the outcome as a mid-term setback.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was among those urging “change,” as critics within Labour argued the defeat reflected broader dissatisfaction with the party’s direction.

Greens Celebrate Historic Breakthrough

Green candidate Hannah Spencer secured a 4,400-vote majority, marking the party’s first ever parliamentary by-election win and its first seat in northern England.

Party co-leader Zack Polanski said he would support full transparency around the vote if further inquiries were recommended.

With tensions flaring over campaign tactics, identity politics and electoral integrity, the Gorton and Denton contest has quickly become a flashpoint in Britain’s increasingly fragmented political landscape.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL