Greens win Gorton and Denton by-election
Labour came third at the polls last night, with Reform securing more than 10,500 votes for a second-place finish.
Hannah Spencer, the Green Party leader at Trafford Council, won the Gorton and Denton by-election to become the area’s MP. Prior to her election, Spencer worked as a plumber and was training in plastering. She will be the Green Party’s fifth MP in this Parliament.
Spencer won 40.7% of the vote, with a tally of 14,980 votes.
Her closest challenger was Reform’s Matt Goodwin, who won 28.7% of the vote – 10,578 votes.
Labour’s Angeliki Stogia earned 9,364 votes – 25.4% of those cast.
The Conservative candidate Charlotte Cadden came in a distant fourth with 706 votes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Spencer’s win as a “very disappointing result” in conversations with the BBC. He declined to weigh in on whether he was wrong to prevent Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from running for the seat – instead praising Stogia’s candidacy.
A really bad party, defeated by an abysmally worse party with a very poor and dim outlook looming for the UK as a whole. I really do fear for the future with the outcome of the Gorton bi-election. They should rename themselves The Gangrene Party.
By Stephen Hart
Yes, Stephen. I agree. The only good political party is the one I vote for.
By Anonymous
I’m not sure that the first comment on this article meets the comments policy requirement to keep arguments constructive.
By Anonymous
Anon 2.22 – do you have something positive to say about the result or the Greens, or are you just trying to police other people’s opinions?
In terms of the impact on the property/regen sector, it’s too early to say but one of the major factors in Manchester’s revival, spreading to wider GM, has been political stability in the Town Hall and people in charge who understand the private sector (unlike say, Liverpool). This has also meant supportive voices and influence in Westminster.
If yesterday’s result isn’t repeated, it won’t make much difference, but if it points to something wider nationally and a potential local domino effect (let’s see how the Manchester locals go in May) then having people who are generally hostile to business with strong nimby tendencies in influential positions is extremely risky indeed.
By Not Stephen Hart
A really bad result for the Labour Party, but I still think the decision for Andy Burnham not to have been the Labour candidate however that decision was arrived at was the right thing to have happened.
Andy Burnham needs to hold his thoughts, nerve and not fall into the trap of joining the clammer for change at the top of the Labour Party.
He holds a pivotal local role in the continued fight for a better Greater Manchester (GM) and he needs to maintain his focus on being the Mayor of GM.
His success is GM’s and the Labour Party’s success long term.
Discipline, Integrity and Collective Responsibility are values that drove me in business, my time in politics and hopefully Andy agrees and feels the same.
By Russell P
I’ve no strong opinions on the Green Party either way but my word, Labour and Reform set a very low bar.
By Anthony
Will vote for Manchester Labour (Council and Mayor) as they have been excellent, but until Keir Starmer steps down, won’t be voting him in again as PM.
By Anonymous
Greater Manchester population will support and votes for him as Mayor of GM Andy Burnham in 2028 👍🏻
By G J Kitchener
Yes, to an extent a protest vote on Starmer but I expect/fear that Green and Reform will make ground in local elections too.
It might be uncomfortable for the audience of this site but I think we also need to ask whether the votes were also a rejection – or partial rejection – of the “Manchester model”.
Part of the demographic not benefiting the “trickle down” from the economic growth of the city centre; and part of the demographic, whilst in good quality jobs in the city centre, suffering from high and ever-growing rents, meaning fulfilling their life ambitions seems permanently on hold.
I think Burnham and Craig “get it” but pace of change needs to quicken.
By Anonymous
Not hard to rationalise the results given national polls, and the unsavoury antics of Andrew Gwynne, but I won’t be the first to wonder what these means for the GM growth model if it represents a sea change in the politics of the city. Through that lens it’s good that Andy Burnham is sticking around to shepherd a set of boroughs that are going to be a state of flux after the May elections, and for the Greens, I hope they grow a distinctively Mancunian version of the party (in a way that Manchester Labour is different from national Labour) because the flavour in Bristol or Brighton won’t be the one that’s best for this place.
By Rich X
I think tactical voting will be a major factor at the next election meaning that the Anyone but Reform Party (ABRP) will win most seats.
By Anonymous