To Complete The Set

Rebecca Long-Bailey is of course quite correct that there is no such thing as a safe seat for any party these days.

Moreover, it is worth pointing out that the colossal Labour majority at Manchester Gorton dates only from the collapse of the Liberal Democrats, who had previously had a significant local presence.

It was recorded, furthermore, by an extremely long-serving Member of Parliament.

Although there is one very strong candidate, Labour has not only failed to select anyone to contest the by-election that is expected to be held on 4th May, but it has failed to decide even who should sit on the committee for that selection.

Meanwhile, if George Galloway were to stand and win, or indeed if he were to do so at Leigh or at Liverpool Walton, then he would have been elected to Parliament as many times as Nigel Farage had failed to be so.

Both people who have lost their Commons seats to George have been given seats in the House of Lords, in one case for no other reason.

Perhaps the defeated Labour candidate in this instance might also be ennobled, as occurred with the one whom Peter Law had beaten at Blaenau Gwent in 2005?

Non-Labour MPs who at least identify as being to the left of most Labour ones currently hold seats in Scotland, Wales, and the South of England.

But that ceased to be the case in the North of England when George lost Bradford West in 2015.

At least unless Labour ran the candidate that it should at Manchester Gorton, then the opportunity presents itself to complete the set.