‘Back in business’: Labour’s red wallers who lost seats looking for comebacks

Jo Platt, who lost her seat at the 2019 general election, has been selected again as the Labour candidate for Leigh, in Greater Manchester. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

A growing number of former Labour MPs who lost their “red wall” seats in 2019 are hoping to make a political comeback at the next general election as confidence grows that Keir Starmer is on course for Downing Street.

Party sources say that the number of defeated “red wallers” hoping to stand again, or considering putting their names forward, is now well into double figures as Labour sets its sights on a much quicker than expected recovery from the 2019 election disaster.