Wes Streeting apologises for Labour having ‘no good candidate’ in Rochdale by-election

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he is “really sorry” that there is no “good Labour candidate to vote for” in the Rochdale by-election after the party withdrew its support for Azhar Ali.

The MP for Ilford North told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday (19 February): “I’m not going to pretend that this has been Labour’s finest hour.

“We’ve got people going to the polls in Rochdale who don’t have a good Labour candidate to vote for. I’m really sorry that’s the case – I think it’s an appalling position to be in.

“But what I wouldn’t want is for Labour to stand by someone who’s peddled antisemitic conspiracy theories, and that’s why Keir’s taken this unprecedented action.”