‘We can’t just talk to the right’: what will Labour do now?

In Runcorn and Helsby, lost by an agonising six votes having been one of Labour’s safest seats, Reform showed how it could turn out its machine. In that same seat, Labour retained just 55% of its vote, suggesting many of its own voters did not turn out. Among Labour 2024 voters, 43% said they would be likely to consider voting Green and 40% Lib Dems. “I’m constantly making the case to No 10 that we can’t just talk to the right,” another said. If the next election is versus a Farage-Jenrick coalition then we can squeeze the progressive vote very hard.