The Green Party has achieved a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, securing its first MP in northern England and pushing Labour into third place. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green councillor, overturned Labour's 13,000-vote majority, winning 14,980 votes. Reform UK finished second with 10,578 votes, while Labour trailed with 5,616 votes behind the Greens. The result marks a 25.4 percentage point drop in Labour's vote share compared to 2024.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each secured less than 2% of the vote, losing their deposits. This is the first time in nearly a century that the Gorton area of Manchester has not been represented by a Labour MP. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the result as 'very disappointing' but vowed to 'keep on fighting', dismissing suggestions he should resign.
In her victory speech, Spencer said people were 'being bled dry' by a system that lines the pockets of billionaires. She pledged to stand against politicians who scapegoat communities, specifically mentioning her Muslim friends and neighbours. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne over offensive WhatsApp messages.
Labour sources attributed the defeat partly to anger among Muslim voters over the party's stance on Gaza, an issue the Greens capitalised on. Turnout was 47.6%, slightly lower than in the 2024 general election. Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin, an academic and GB News presenter, blamed his loss on 'a coalition of Islamists and woke progressives', accusing the Greens of 'playing sectarian politics' by campaigning in Urdu.
