The Green Party is attracting voters who once backed Reform UK, according to its newest MP, with a growing “eco-populist” movement offering a home for those disillusioned by Nigel Farage’s party.
The MP’s Claim: From Reform to Green
Hannah Spencer, the Green MP for Gorton and Denton, says she is witnessing a direct shift among former supporters of the insurgent right-wing party. “Reform, in a really sophisticated way, targeted a lot of exhausted and tired people and promised them stuff that they could never deliver,” she said. “So they’re now looking at another opportunity to have change in this country, and it is the Greens.” She claims public trust in Reform has dwindled since its breakthrough at the 2024 general election, and that people who “really trusted Reform” and thought they were “challenging the establishment” are now looking to the Greens instead.
Spencer, a plumber who stormed to victory in a February 2026 by-election, cited conversations within her own social circle. “A lot of my friends and colleagues… very openly support Reform. In the last 12 months or so, I’m finding they’re asking me questions. What they might have thought about Reform, it’s all just disappeared into thin air.”
Expert Confirmation: A Pattern of Disenchantment
This assessment is supported by elections expert and Tory peer, Lord Hayward. “Anecdotally, I am hearing stories of people moving from one to the other. And it’s logical, because what you’ve got is a large number of people who are pissed off,” he said. He attributes the shift to a broad “disenchantment with politics,” where voters seeking to register their frustration move between parties perceived as outsiders.
“They are basically fed up with politicians. And the ‘fed up party’, if you go back two or four years, was the Liberal Democrats. They then moved to the Reform Party. But they’ve now got another option, which is the Green Party,” Lord Hayward explained. He pointed to concrete electoral evidence, referencing a Kent County Council by-election in Cliftonville where the Greens took a seat directly from Reform. “That was a very safe Reform seat… My expectation is that some of that rise of the Greens was people making a direct switch.”
Why The Switch is Happening
The apparent migration of voters between two parties with starkly different ideologies is rooted in a shared, potent sentiment: profound dissatisfaction with the political status quo. Research indicates Reform UK’s core appeal is to middle-aged and older, often ex-Conservative, voters primarily concerned with immigration and economic discontent. The Green Party, by contrast, has traditionally attracted a younger, more educated demographic. The bridge between them is a deep-seated desire for a “political reset.”
Lord Hayward describes the Greens as the current “flavour of the month” for this protest vote. Spencer’s by-election campaign in Gorton and Denton consciously tapped into this, prioritising “hope over division” to “push politics in a different and better direction.” This message appears to be resonating as the Greens experience unprecedented growth; under leader Zack Polanski, who took over in September 2025, party membership has more than tripled, soaring to 225,000 by April 2026.
Spencer’s own victory exemplified the dynamic. She overturned a Labour majority of over 13,000 to become the Green Party’s first MP in the north of England and its fifth overall, with Reform UK’s candidate, Matt Goodwin, finishing second. The win was a significant blow to Labour and demonstrated the Greens’ expanding reach.
The shift is occurring against a backdrop of challenges for Reform UK. Recent polling has shown the party’s support slumping by five points in one survey, with the Conservatives edging closer, though other polls still show Reform ahead of the Greens nationally.
Contrasting Visions: Immigration and Borders
Despite sharing an anti-establishment appeal, the policies of the two parties could not be more different, particularly on the defining issue for Reform supporters: immigration. Reform UK has proposed a hardline platform including the abolition of indefinite leave to remain and mass deportations. The Green Party advocates a fundamentally “humane” approach, aiming for a “world without borders” and emphasising social justice for all regardless of immigration status.
This stark divergence underscores that the switch is less about policy alignment and more about channeling frustration. For some voters, the vehicle for that protest appears to be changing.
Allegations and Aftermath in Gorton and Denton
The Gorton and Denton result was followed by allegations from the election observer group Democracy Volunteers, which reported “concerningly high levels” of illegal “family voting.” Nigel Farage claimed the outcome was a “victory for sectarian voting and cheating.” Reform UK and the Conservative Party asked the Electoral Commission to investigate.
However, Greater Manchester Police subsequently investigated and found “no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting.” The police stated that observers had not provided sufficient details to pursue the claims. The Electoral Commission said it would discuss its definitions and training with Democracy Volunteers, stressing the need for allegations to be evidence-based to maintain public trust.
Spencer dismissed the allegations as “really dangerous” and “really sad,” welcoming investigations but calling the claims an unfair attack on communities.
A Reform UK spokesperson responded to the claims of losing voters to the Greens by saying: “Reform isn’t in government, so we haven’t even begun delivering the policies that put British people first. If Hannah wants to pretend our voters are flocking to the open-borders, drug-legalising, tax-hiking Greens, she’s welcome to.”
