Labour should ditch ‘dirty tricks’ used in Gorton and Denton byelection - Yorkshire Post Letters

What a terrific result at Gorton and Denton. I’m thrilled the Greens won, even though I’ve never voted for them. Both Labour and Reform, however, stooped to obvious dirty tricks that should shame them. Fortunately, the smears didn’t stick, and Hannah Spencer is the new MP.

Labour and Reform spread falsehoods about the Greens’ drug policy. Starmer called it "disgusting…irresponsible…reprehensible,” and Goodwin claimed they wanted to legalise heroin and crack. In reality, the Greens advocate a regulated public health approach to reduce drug deaths, not unregulated legalisation.

Starmer also wrongly accused them of wanting to leave NATO. The Greens’ policy is reform from within, concerned by the US’s unreliability as an ally. On the eve of the by-election, Labour circulated a leaflet falsely claiming they were the “tactical vote” to stop Reform.

These are all obvious dirty attempts to deceive the electorate. I’m delighted they all failed.

After the election, Farage accused the Greens of cheating, and Goodwin blamed the loss on “sectarianism” (aimed at the Muslim community) and “family voting”. There is no evidence for either claim, and all communities vote freely without coercion. Using “sectarianism” to describe Muslims risks racism unless white communities can be described similarly. Reform and Labour could benefit just as easily as the Greens from family voting (i.e. one person influencing another's vote at a polling station).

Such empty attacks echo Trump-style denial: lose, claim fraud with no evidence, repeat ad nauseam. Reform’s response shows they cannot accept defeat, a deeply troubling trait for any party seeking to govern. Bad losers!

Labour needs to stop the disinformation and take on board how popular Green policies are. Some existing Labour policies are excellent but many have failed miserably. Now it’s time to adapt or face devastating consequences.