Labour faced a significant defeat in a former stronghold in Manchester as the Green Party achieved a surprising victory in a by-election. The seat of Gorton and Denton, historically held by Labour for almost a century, was won by Green candidate Hannah Spencer with 14,980 votes, surpassing Reform candidate Matt Goodwin and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia.
This win, the first ever for the Greens in a parliamentary by-election, poses a challenge for Keir Starmer as Labour lost a seat they previously secured with over 13,000 votes in the 2024 election. Criticism has emerged regarding Labour’s performance and the decision to prevent Andy Burnham from participating in the race.
Despite Labour’s efforts leading up to the election, the Greens mobilized a larger-than-expected supporter base, shifting the mood as the votes were counted. This outcome weakens Labour’s stance as the primary party to combat Reform and sets the stage for potential difficulties in upcoming local elections in May. It also deals a significant blow to Keir Starmer’s leadership, following recent calls for his resignation by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
The decision by Labour officials to block Mr. Burnham from running is likely to spark internal dissent within the party. Labour chairwoman Anna Turley MP expressed disappointment over the result, attributing the challenging nature of by-elections to the governing party and emphasizing that voters rejected the extremist politics represented by Nigel Farage and Reform.
In her victory speech, Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, humorously apologized to her customers for potential delays in her work schedule due to her parliamentary duties. She pledged to advocate for working-class individuals like herself, promising to promote constructive dialogue without resorting to animosity. The campaign, she noted, was driven by thousands of dedicated volunteers and activists.
During the vote count, allegations of family voting, an illicit practice involving collusion or direction on voting choices, sparked controversy. Democracy Volunteers, an election monitoring group, reported abnormally high levels of family voting in the election, though officials had not received prior complaints on election day and questioned the timing of the allegations.
Nigel Farage, the unsuccessful Reform candidate, reacted bitterly to his defeat, alleging “sectarian cheating” in the aftermath of the election.
