Labour Leader Vows Full Support for Manchester By-Election Candidate

The Labour leader told party colleagues that he will support the eventual candidate in the Manchester Makerfield by-election one hundred percent. He said the contest is between Labour and Reform and urged every member to back the nominee once selected.

The Greater Manchester mayor is widely expected to seek the Labour nomination and, if successful, to launch a leadership challenge. The leader stated that the party must build urgency in its work because voters are frustrated that their lives have not changed quickly enough.

The deputy prime minister warned colleagues against internecine warfare, saying opponents are lighting a match and standing in the petrol. He offered his full support to the current leader amid pressure from rival figures including the former health secretary.

A polling expert told The Independent that the former health secretary’s call for the UK to rejoin the EU appeared designed to weaken the mayor’s chances in the strongly pro-Leave seat. The expert said the intervention created significant doubt over whether the mayor would win.

The former health secretary has confirmed plans to stand in any leadership race and called for a new special relationship with the European Union. The mayor has said there is a long-term case for rejoining but would not reopen the debate immediately.

Downing Street declined to say whether the leader wants the UK to rejoin the EU, stating only that he wants closer alignment with Brussels while respecting the red lines in the 2024 manifesto. Officials avoided repeating the leader’s earlier claim that he would fight any challenge to his position.

The Tony Blair Institute’s political director said advocating immediate re-entry is foolish and described the EU as a failing institution that needs reform. He added that Britain should seek a reformed relationship when stronger, possibly through an innovation or defence union.

The International Monetary Fund raised its UK growth forecast for the year to 1 percent from 0.8 percent. It noted the economy remained resilient after expanding 0.6 percent in the first three months of 2026 but warned that the Iran war and domestic uncertainty could raise energy and food prices.

Labour’s Josh Simons has been appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, the procedural step that allows him to resign as Makerfield MP and trigger the by-election.