The political landscape of Greater Manchester has been fundamentally redrawn after the Green Party seized the parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton, inflicting a historic and devastating defeat upon the Labour Party in one of its century-old strongholds.
In the by-election held on February 26, 2026, Green candidate Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Trafford councillor, secured a commanding victory with 14,980 votes, or 40.7% of the total cast. This landmark result marks the Green Party’s first-ever win in a Westminster by-election and installs Spencer as the party’s fifth MP and its first in the North of England. The full results, confirmed by the returning officer, saw Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin in second place with 10,578 votes (28.7%), pushing Labour’s Angeliki Stogia into a humiliating third with 9,364 votes (25.4%). The Conservative candidate, Charlotte Cadden, suffered a catastrophic collapse to just 706 votes (1.9%), losing the party’s deposit in its worst by-election performance on record.
The defeat represents a profound crisis for Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Labour’s vote share plummeted by over 25 points from its 50.8% result in the 2024 general election, one of the party’s largest drops this century. The loss was compounded by intense internal criticism and the revelation that the party’s National Executive Committee had blocked the popular Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, from standing as the candidate. Labour’s own internal polling reportedly indicated that Burnham, perceived as a potential leadership rival to Starmer, was the only figure who could have held the seat.
In the aftermath, senior Labour figures broke ranks to voice their dismay. Former deputy leader Angela Rayner called it a “wake-up call,” urging colleagues to “be braver.” Veteran MP John Trickett went further, calling for Starmer to resign and stating “Labour needs new leadership.” Clapham and Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy warned the party was alienating its core vote, while Clive Lewis described the loss as “a punch in the face.” Sir Keir Starmer admitted the result was “disappointing” but rejected calls to quit, vowing to “keep on fighting.”
The Green Party’s seismic victory is attributed to a potent combination of factors. Under the leadership of Zack Polanski, who has described himself as an “eco-populist,” the party has seen its national poll ratings rise and its membership skyrocket from approximately 70,000 to over 180,000. Polanski’s appeal to younger voters, who polls show have swung significantly to the Greens, was a key dynamic. Candidate Hannah Spencer ran a campaign focused squarely on the cost-of-living crisis and local community issues, and she has also criticised what she termed “misogynistic” media coverage. Labour sources privately acknowledged that the party had not been forgiven by many Muslim voters for its stance on the Gaza conflict, an issue the Greens successfully capitalised upon.
While the Greens celebrated, the result also highlighted the ongoing fragmentation of the right-of-centre vote. Reform UK’s second-place finish demonstrated its continued appeal, even in traditional Labour territory. However, leader Nigel Farage provoked immediate controversy by alleging the Green win was a “victory for sectarian voting and cheating,” a claim the Greens dismissed as “straight out of the Trump playbook.” For the Conservatives, the derisory 1.9% vote share cemented their struggle to fend off Reform’s challenge, with leader Kemi Badenoch criticising what she called “grievance politics.”
Allegations Over Electoral Integrity
The aftermath of the poll has been dominated by allegations concerning electoral conduct. The election observer group Democracy Volunteers reported witnessing “concerningly high levels” of illegal “family voting,” where individuals potentially direct each other on how to vote. The group stated its observers saw 32 cases of apparent collusion, the highest number in its decade-long history, and noted that official signage discouraging the practice was present in only 45% of polling stations—a significant detail under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
Nigel Farage asserted that Reform UK had reported “many cases” to the Electoral Commission and police, claiming the issues raised “serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.” The Green Party strongly rejected these allegations as an attempt to undermine their democratic mandate. Manchester City Council stated it had seen no such issues during polling. The controversy ensures that the historic victory in Gorton and Denton will be analysed not only for its political shockwaves but also for the integrity of the process that delivered it.
