Letter: Still need to fight in the labour movement

Michael Chessum (in Solidarity 762) asks us to acknowledge that a statement in my article previewing the Gorton and Denton by-election was wrong. That was: “the only realistic way that Reform UK can win [in Gorton and Denton is if the Green party splits the Labour vote”. Yes, that was wrong

In a follow-up article I did say: “In retrospect a Reform win was always unlikely in a constituency with its diverse and left-leaning population: the combined Labour-Green percentage vote from 2024 held up well (64% in 2024, 67% in 2026).” But yes the calculation was wrong and I’ve gone back to look the 2024 election figures and where the Greens are strong.

What conclusions do I draw? That voters were convinced that the most likely way to keep out Reform was to vote Green in this constituency? Clearly. We must conclude that the two-party system is gone, even as it is constrained by first-past-the-post voting. At the very least, even voters loyal to Labour, or other parties, are prepared to “lend” their votes in all sorts of ways.

Were voters in Gorton and Denton were also won to the Greens? As Michael puts it: “A party to Labour’s left has proven itself to be a more viable vehicle to defeat the right. For many progressive voters, the prospect of voting with heart and head will be irresistible.” For sure, some were — further data is needed.

Replicated

Can this result be replicated across the country in a general election? If we look at the constituencies where the Greens did well (say, 6,000 or more votes) in 2024 it is possible to make some guesses: that they could win across the board in Bristol, in some places where they came second and Labour’s winning vote was relatively low — some of the Manchester constituencies, maybe Birkenhead, Huddersfield, Sheffield Central… Maybe even some London constituencies where the Labour vote is higher (Hackney, Lewisham).

Those leftists who have migrated into the Green Party will, not unreasonably, be happy with such a result. Or maybe not exactly happy if Reform is in government.

The issue for me is that I do not believe the left is committed to transforming the Greens from an electoral party into one fully connected to the labour movement in a short time frame. Despite every terrible thing Labour has done, now and in the past, it still is that. That’s a problem isn’t it?

It’s a problem because, while the Green Party is gaining ground, we, that is class-struggle socialists, still need to fight inside the labour movement, the unions and Labour, to change Labour’s political direction.

It’s a problem because the left in the UK will have to come together if it is to beat Reform politically. To be effective we have include Labour supporters and members. Yet now some, not all but some, Green Party leftists and Your Party members wouldn’t spit on Labour people if they were on fire.

Cathy Nugent, London