Green Party Overturns 13,000-Vote Labour Majority in Gorton and Denton
Hannah Spencer secures historic victory as Labour vote share collapses and Reform UK takes second place
Image: Matt Weston / AI
Callum Smith
The Green Party dismantled a 13,000-vote Labour majority in Gorton and Denton on Thursday, delivering a historic blow to the governing party in its former industrial heartland.
Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin surged into second place with 10,578 votes. This momentum displaced the established order and left the Conservative Party in a state of total collapse.
Conservative support bottomed out at an all-time low of 1.9%. Turnout for the contest reached 47.6% by the time polls closed.
The by-election followed the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne. He vacated the seat citing health reasons.
Labour’s grip on the electorate evaporated as their vote share plummeted from 50.7% in 2024 to just 25.4%. Candidate Angeliki Stogia trailed both the Greens and Reform UK as the final count concluded.
The primary force capable of protecting the country from Reform UK.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski described the victory as a tidal wave for his movement. He asserted that the result establishes new territory for the party across England and Wales.
Polanski claimed the Greens have secured a permanent progressive voice in the national conversation. He argued the party now stands as the primary force capable of protecting the country from Reform UK.
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell admitted that the Greens won the argument regarding who was best placed to block the right-wing surge. This admission followed her previous insistence that the battle for second place would be a close contest.
The loss shattered a 150-year historical trend of dominance by the three traditional parties. Polling expert Martin Baxter noted that the combined vote for Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats fell below 50% for the first time.
Internal pressure on Sir Keir Starmer intensified immediately as the scale of the defeat became clear. Maryam Eslamdoust, leader of the TSSA transport union, called for the Prime Minister to announce his departure from office.
Unite leader Sharon Graham told the party leadership to ditch the gimmicks and stop prioritizing wealthy donors. She characterized the result as a wake-up call for the current administration.
Ditch the gimmicks and stop prioritizing wealthy donors. The result is a wake-up call for the current administration.
Steve Wright of the Fire Brigades Union warned of heavy losses in the upcoming May elections if the government refuses to change course. He stated that the political consequences for Starmer are now unavoidable.
The Mainstream Labour group labeled the evening an absolute disaster and a catastrophic error. They specifically pointed to the decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing as the candidate.
Sir John Curtice observed that the Green success makes the future of British politics more uncertain than ever. He noted the result destroys the narrative that Labour is the only viable option for anti-Reform voters.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage alleged the result was a victory for sectarian voting and cheating. He raised public questions regarding the integrity of the voting process in predominantly Muslim areas of the constituency.
Democracy Volunteers reported witnessing family voting in 68% of the polling stations they monitored. They described these levels as high compared to other recent electoral contests.
Manchester City Council countered these allegations, stating that staff at polling stations reported no such irregularities. Labour Party Chair Anna Turley described the reports of voting issues as extremely worrying.
Matt Goodwin claimed a coalition of Islamists and progressives dominated the seat. He expressed concern about the emergence of what he termed sectarianism in Britain.
Hannah Spencer reported that the existing political system is designed to keep independent voices like hers out of power. She recounted an incident where a passerby shouted at her party office during the campaign.
Richard Burgon, secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group, placed the blame for the defeat directly on Starmer and his inner circle. An anonymous Labour MP stated that the Prime Minister must take personal ownership of the catastrophe.
Angela Rayner maintained that voters still desire the change Labour promised during the general election. Lucy Powell confirmed that Sir Keir Starmer remains resolute and that no leadership contest is currently underway.