‘Earn every vote’ to make history in Wakefield, Keir Starmer tells supporters

Kier Starmer told supporters in Wakefield: ‘We know how hard this is. We lost in 2019.’ Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has urged supporters not to be complacent in advance of the Wakefield byelection, adding that a victory “could be the birthplace of the next Labour government”.

With Labour now odds-on favourites to win back the seat, Starmer shared a message of hope and optimism with supporters at a city centre rally on Saturday, as his party seeks to reverse the Tories’ “red wall” takeover of formerly Labour majority constituencies across the north of England.