Bridget Phillipson has slammed the Clacton by-election as a “ridiculous stunt” after Nigel Farage was re-elected to the Essex seat.
Speaking to GB News, the Labour Party chair rejected comparisons to Andy Burnham’s path to No10, which began with a victory in the Makerfield by-election.
Mr Farage won with 22,239 votes in Clacton, where the other major parties did not field candidates.
“The people of Clacton have decided who they want to represent them and that's our democracy,” Ms Phillipson began.
However, the Labour minister stressed that her party had no interest in taking part in the exercise.
“We were never going to be a part of this ridiculous stunt that (Mr) Farage was responsible for causing,” she said.
GB News host Ellie Costello jumped in, asking: “You've described Clacton as a ridiculous stunt pulled by Nigel Farage. How was Makerfield not a ridiculous stunt?”
“That was also a by-election that didn't need to happen. That was because one man wanted to return to Westminster.
“He has now walked into No10 without any public scrutiny and without any contest. Only 24,000 people have voted for him in Makerfield. Does he have any mandate to run this country?”
“Of course he does,” Ms Phillipson shot back.
“The difference was that you had a member of Parliament there who stood down. It wasn't the same Member of Parliament seeking re-election in a seat that they already held.
“What Andy Burnham is being clear about is that he's focused on the things that really matter to the British people, whether that's revitalising our high streets or the changes that we're seeing around the cost of living.
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“That's the work that we've been engaged in over the summer, rather than focusing on this stunt in Clacton.”
“But this MP's decision to stand aside was all manufactured,” Home and Security Editor Mark White interjected.
“It didn't need to happen. Just like you say, the Clacton by-election didn't need to happen.”
“Well, people can have their opinions, but that Member of Parliament did stand down. Andy Burnham was elected in the by-election,” the Labour chair responded.
“It was a fantastic result, a really brilliant result and shows what we can achieve against Reform,” she insisted.
Nevertheless, Ms Phillipson added: “I think it's also right that we didn't stand a candidate in Clacton.”
The Labour Chair also stressed that there was “no hiding place now for Nigel Farage on these really big questions that he refuses to answer.”
“People want to know exactly what's going on around the funding of his party, around the sleaze that's engulfing them, and he refuses to answer their questions. Well, there's no excuse now.”
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