Keir Starmer finally visited the by-election battleground today as Labour frantically ramps up attacks on the Greens.
After weeks of seemingly avoiding visiting Gorton & Denton amid concerns about his miserable poll ratings, the PM made a surprise appearance alongside candidate Angeliki Stogia.
However, Sir Keir was carefully surrounded by Labour activists and his deputy Lucy Powell inside a leisure centre. Aides insisted he would be meeting ordinary voters on his trip.
In a speech to supporters, the PM hammered the Greens over backing drugs legalisation, saying they wanted his teenage son to be able to buy heroin and crack cocaine.
But asked if he would take the blame if Labour loses the contest on Thursday, Sir Keir merely said: 'This is a very important constituency, a very important by-election.'
Labour has been hoping to paint the by-election - in a traditional stronghold seat - as a straight fight with Reform, which has been riding high in national polls.
However, the tone seems to be shifting to attacks on the Greens, in a sign they fear Zack Polanski's party is gaining traction.
Even more optimistic activists believe the outcome is on a knife-edge, with the very limited polling so far suggesting a three-way split.
Constituency-level surveys are notoriously difficult to conduct.
The PM's decision to visit the seat, where Sir Keir's potential leadership rival Andy Burnham was blocked from standing, comes after he did not hit the campaign trail in last year’s Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where Reform’s Sarah Pochin won by six votes.
Sir Keir met Mr Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, during his visit on Monday.
Sources indicated the pair agreed on the importance of a united Labour movement in their fight against Reform.
After weeks of seemingly avoiding visiting Denton & Gorton amid concerns about his miserable poll ratings, the PM made a surprise appearance today
Sir Keir was carefully surrounded by Labour activists, candidate Angeliki Stogia (pictured) and his deputy Lucy Powell inside a leisure centre. Aides insisted he will be meeting ordinary voters on his trip
Reform candidate Matt Goodwin has branded the by-election a referendum on Sir Keir's leadership, as the PM struggles to cling on in No10.
Losing the battle could spark a fresh bout of speculation about the premier's future, with grim local elections looming in May.
Sir Keir said: 'In this by-election a vote for the Green Party is, in effect, a vote for Reform.
'And we saw in the by-election in Runcorn last year, where Labour lost by just a handful of votes, we got a Reform Member of Parliament. We mustn't let that happen again.
'When it comes to the Green Party, look at their drugs policy: they say we should legalise heroin and crack cocaine.
'Imagine what would happen in every park and every playground in this constituency if that happened.
'I have to say, as a father of a boy who's 17-and-a-half, the idea that the Green Party would make the argument that just, in a few months time, it should be perfectly lawful to sell him heroin and crack cocaine. I find that disgusting.'
Sir Keir said: 'The battle here is that basic battle between a party that wants to bring our communities together to make sure that everybody in this constituency has their voice heard in Parliament through their brilliant Labour candidate, or a party that couldn't really care less where the constituency is, just wants to use it as a platform for hatred and division and tearing people apart.
Reform candidate Matt Goodwin has branded the by-election a referendum on Sir Keir's leadership, as he struggles to cling on in No10
Green campaign literature includes Urdu translations of messages including this one insisting it is the only party that can beat Reform
'That is not the politics of this constituency. That is not the politics of this country.
'And we must be in this fight, fighting for all the people that will be affected by decisions made here on Thursday and making sure that they have the hope to go forward, that better support from a Labour Government and to make sure that we do not descend into hostility, which would follow a Reform win.'
Yesterday Ms Powell pleaded with residents in the Manchester constituency not to let Nigel Farage's party in by 'turning to the Greens'.
Writing in the Sunday Mirror, she said the Greens were 'peddling misinformation' about being the only viable alternative to Reform.
