Keir Starmer’s ‘leadership’ won by-election in Batley and Spen, insists Labour ally

Asked if the ‘excellence of your candidate’ had tipped balance, Rachel Reeves says: ‘Under Keir’s leadership, we won’

Keir Starmer deserves the credit for Labour’s by-election win in Batley and Spen, a shadow cabinet ally says – dismissing suggestions that a strong local candidate secured the win.

The popularity of Kim Leadbeater – the sister of the seat’s former murdered MP Jo Cox – has been seen as the crucial factor in fighting off the Tory challenge.

But Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, while heaping praise on Ms Leadbeater’s “inspiration”, added: “Under Keir’s leadership, we won in Batley and Spen.”

Amid the admiration for Ms Leadbeater’s determination and bravery – in a by-election stoked by “division and hatred” Ms Reeves said – she was asked if the “excellence of your candidate” had tipped the balance.

But the shadow chancellor told Sky News: “Keir will take us into the next election and I believe that result, in the early hours of Friday morning, is the start of more victories for Labour.”

The comments came as Ms Reeves announced a new post-Brexit “buy British” policy, to “ensure we buy, make and sell more in Britain”.

The patriotic platform is designed to help Labour continue to halt the Conservative advance into the party’s strongholds in traditional manufacturing areas.

More public contracts would be awarded to British businesses, as opposed to handing them to overseas firms, although exactly how this would be achieved is unclear.

And there would be an emphasis on securing more high-skilled UK jobs for the future in the green, financial technology, digital media and film, and other industries.

Ms Leadbeater squeaked to victory over Tory rival Ryan Stephenson by 13,296 votes to 12,973 – a margin of just 323 – while George Galloway’s Workers Party won a surprisingly healthy 8,264 votes

On Friday, the new MP appeared to dodge a question about Sir Keir’s influence, saying: “The focus of the campaign was very much listening to local people and speaking to local people.”

Ms Reeves denied a Labour leaflet attacking Boris Johnson and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi – criticised as hostile to Muslims in his country – was a “dog whistle” to Muslim voters in the constituency.

“Boris Johnson wanted his trade visit to India to get a trade deal, but he put at risk the vaccine rollout and allowed new variants to enter the country,” she said, defending its use.

“That is not responsible, that is not acting in the national interest.”

Ms Reeves also said Labour is prepared to consider widely expected tax rises to pay for a solution to the social care crisis, which the government is expected to put forward in the autumn.

“We are willing to look at how you fund it because taxes may need to pay for it.,” she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“I will make sure that any policies that I set out and that Labour set out will be fully costed and we explained how they will be paid for.”