The Green Party secured a historic by-election victory in Gorton and Denton, overturning a Labour majority of over 13,000 from the general election. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green councillor, became the party's fifth MP, with Reform UK's Matt Goodwin finishing second and Labour's Angeliki Stogia pushed into third.
The result, in a constituency that had elected Labour MPs for nearly a century, has plunged the party into fresh despair and intensified calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change course. Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, described the outcome as a 'wake-up call', while loyal ministers acknowledged the scale of the defeat reflected a loss of support on Labour's left flank.
A leadership challenge within months is now considered possible, particularly after expected poor results in May's Scottish and Welsh parliamentary and English council elections. One MP on the soft left said the by-election defeat 'hastens everything', adding that nothing could now save Starmer. Another minister described the result as 'cataclysmically bad' and said it would force immediate demands for a shift to the progressive wing of the party.
Downing Street's decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in the by-election has heightened the sense of humiliation, with many believing his local popularity would have held the seat. Burnham and Starmer held talks this week, reportedly constructive, and Burnham has not ruled out a return to parliament.
For the Greens, the win signals their potential as an alternative to Reform UK. In her victory speech, Spencer said she had offered voters an alternative to 'working to line the pockets of billionaires'. The result, which saw significant support from Muslim voters, drew accusations of sectarian politics from Reform and the Conservatives, but Spencer highlighted unity, stating: 'We did this side by side.'
