Jonathan Ashworth Hints at Political Comeback Following Surprising Election Loss

Former Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth, now unseated, suggested on Beth Rigby's Electoral Dysfunction podcast that he might consider a comeback to parliament. He expressed regret for not speaking up more about the harassment he faced during his campaign in Leicester South, where he was defeated by an independent candidate.

Friday, August 2, 2024, 11:

A prominent member of the Labour Party, who was unexpectedly defeated in the recent elections, has suggested they might make a comeback to parliament.

Jonathan Ashworth, the ex-Labour representative for Leicester South who lost to an independent, shared on Beth Rigby's Electoral Dysfunction podcast that he remains active and has no plans to leave the scene.

Shortly after losing the election, Mr. Ashworth, who was expected to receive a cabinet position, was named leader of the prominent Labour think tank, Labour Together.

When Rigby inquired if he might consider a comeback to Westminster under the right conditions, like during a by-election, Mr. Ashworth responded, "I'm still here. I'll continue to be active. I'm not leaving."

Rigby chimed in, "I'm going to make a personal bet here, despite the fact that betting on political outcomes is generally frowned upon in our line of work. I can envision a scenario where Jon Ashworth returns, perhaps through a by-election. Just throwing that idea out there."

Mr. Ashworth responded, "All I can say is that recently, a lot of people have faced difficulties betting on political outcomes. So, proceed with caution!"

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The previous Labour representative for Leicester South, who served from 2011 until this election, was defeated by independent candidate Shockat Adam, who campaigned with a focus on pro-Gaza issues, with a narrow margin of 979 votes.

Mr. Ashworth expressed that losing his seat came as a "shock" and described the experience as "brutal."

He described the campaign in his constituency as "extremely challenging" and "unpleasant."

"He mentioned that he underestimated the severity of the situation."

"However, ultimately, if a significant portion of your voters believe that the campaign primarily hinges on a single issue in Gaza and perceive me as accountable for the dreadful events witnessed there, it becomes quite challenging to convince them otherwise. This is despite our efforts to advocate for the actions that were expected of us and demanded by the public."

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When questioned about his opinion on whether the media's portrayal of the election campaign was accurate to the actual events, Mr. Ashworth stated, "During the campaign, I decided not to emphasize this too much or turn it into a major national media story, as I believed that wouldn't be beneficial."

"Perhaps that was a mistake. Looking back, it might have been better to take that action.

"Perhaps more individuals would have shown up to vote in my favor if they had been aware of the circumstances."

"It's unclear to me, yet it's quite an alarming trend in the political landscape of Britain."

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The ex-Member of Parliament, previously holding the role of shadow paymaster general before the electoral call, also commented on the shift in parliamentary dynamics following his party's overwhelming victory, securing 411 seats and a majority of 174.

He mentioned that in the last ten years, it has become somewhat common for opposition members of parliament to join forces and overrule the government with the help of dissenters from within the ruling party.

"The composition of parliament has undergone a complete transformation. The Labour government now holds a substantial majority, enabling it to easily push through its initiatives."

Further reading: Braverman expresses hope to avoid being pushed towards Reform following police commitment to address violent incidents across the country in response to stabbings in Southport.

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Mr. Ashworth stated, "This procession of independent MPs is essentially ineffective. They merely gather like a disgruntled group of powerless legislators, because they're really unable to achieve any results."

"Clearly, it's the Labour government that is striving to achieve peace in the Middle East. So, naturally, I am quite taken aback and disheartened, but in many respects, when you engage in the realm of politics, you have to acknowledge that there will be victories and there will be defeats."

"Sometimes you have to accept the bad along with the good."

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