Stop the War Coalition help UKIP by marching on Labour HQ

As the crucial by-election on Oldham approaches on Thursday the Labour Party have cancelled tonights phone canvessing. Guido Fawkes reports:

Labour have been forced to cancel a phone canvassing event in support of Oldham by-election candidate Jim McMahon at their Brewers Green HQ tonight. The safety of those attending the phonebank could not be guaranteed because Stop the War are marching on it in protest at Corbyn’s decision to allow a free vote. Labour sources are understandably furious.

Labour are having a hard time of it in Oldham and despite a massive majority when the seat was last contested by the late Michael Meacher of some 14,000 votes, UKIP are apparentley closing the gap. 

The Guardian reports:

Turnout is the first factor to watch. Big turnout drops are the norm in by-elections, particularly those held in safe seats, in Labour seats or in winter. This byelection is all three, so a drop of up to 20% is likely. Labour will bear the brunt of this, both because it is locally dominant and because its voters tend to be harder to motivate. Ukip support is concentrated among the old and the angry – the former vote reliably, the latter have a strong incentive to do so.

Oldham West also has a sizeable Tory vote; 19% backed David Cameron’s party in May. Ukip needs a big chunk of this if it is to close the gap with Labour. It helps that it begins in second place and is widely acknowledged to be the only viable local challenger.

Labour needs to hold this seat with a firm majority and both wings of the party know it. The candidate is a moderate and Momentum, the tendency around Corbyn have sent in supporters to canvass because a loss will seriously damage the dear leaders standing.

Meanwhile there's still no sign that the StWC will ever demonstrate outside the Russian Embassy......

Do Russian bombs not count then comrades?