What’s the state of this Starmer-led nation? Speak to angry voters in Gorton and Denton and it all becomes clear

2026-02-17 - 10:15

I had so many conversations with people fed up with all the chaos, deceit and U-turns. Politics must respond to this disenchantment You can feel Labour’s electoral coalition fraying in the cold, rain-soaked streets of south-east Manchester. With nine days to go now until the historic byelection in Gorton and Denton, one thing unites these otherwise diverse communities: a visceral contempt for the prime minister. Mention Keir Starmer’s name and people laugh: not with affection but disbelief, as though it’s faintly absurd to treat him as a serious topic of conversation. “He just doesn’t stick to his word,” says a middle-aged woman walking her dog, stressing that her real feelings would be impolite to print. Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...