The Green Party's victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection has sent shockwaves through Labour, marking the left-wing party's best byelection result and its first northern seat. The win, with a majority of 4,402 votes over Reform UK, signals to progressive voters that they have a viable alternative to Labour in beating the right, a development that could prove catastrophic for the government in its heartlands.
Pollster Luke Tryl said Labour's strategy of relying on the threat of Reform to reunite the left had collapsed. Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University noted that two pillars of Labour's traditional support—white working-class voters and ethnic minorities—had deserted the party. The Greens' vote share of 41% is four times larger than their previous best byelection result.
Hannah Spencer, the new Green MP, targeted Muslim voters with a campaign that included videos in Urdu, capitalising on discontent over Sir Keir Starmer's stance on Gaza. She said: 'To people here in Gorton and Denton who feel left behind and isolated, I see you and I will fight for you.' Labour officials acknowledged a shift among Muslim voters, with many citing Gaza as a key reason for leaving the party.
The result has reignited questions about Starmer's leadership, with critics on the left arguing he has not done enough to impress the progressive base. Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell said: 'What I take from this is that people want to see the Labour party shout more loudly about our values.' Unison general secretary Andrea Egan added: 'The Greens won for a simple reason: many traditional Labour supporters want to see progressive values robustly defended against the far-right, not gleefully abandoned.'
Labour MPs had feared a Green victory, warning it could herald a split on the left similar to the one that gave Labour a landslide in 2024. Starmer's decision to block Andy Burnham from running for the seat also came under scrutiny, as many voters said they would have been more likely to vote Labour if the Greater Manchester mayor had been the candidate.
