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Will plumbers and other trades unite under the new banner to make Britain great again?
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Is Reform mistaken in thinking it only needs to beat Labour to win the next general election? Maybe the old industriial cities and London will look to the Greens in the election. Most interesting is the poor performance of the Lib Dems. You'd think this was their opportunity.
Some analysis:
The 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election, held on February 26, resulted in a historic victory for the Green Party, marking their first-ever parliamentary by-election win. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and councillor, overturned a 13,000-vote Labour majority to become the party’s first MP in the North of England.
Turnout was 47.6%, which is exceptionally high for a by-election. It was almost identical to the 2024 general election turnout of 47.8% (a negligible drop of 0.2 percentage points). This suggests the Green victory wasn't just due to "normal" voters staying home, but rather a high level of engagement and a massive shift in preference among those who did vote.
2. Did Labour lose support or did Greens gain new voters?
It was a combination of both:
Reform UK made significant progress, finishing in second place with 28.7% of the vote—nearly doubling their 2024 share. While they did not win, their performance confirmed their status as a major force in traditionally "safe" Labour heartlands. Candidate Matt Goodwin (a political scientist and pundit) outperformed the Labour candidate, though he later faced criticism for claiming the Green win was a result of "sectarian politics."
Who is Hannah Spencer after victory in Gorton and Denton by-election 2026
Hannah Spencer, of the Green Party, has won the Gorton and Denton by-election
Is Reform mistaken in thinking it only needs to beat Labour to win the next general election? Maybe the old industriial cities and London will look to the Greens in the election. Most interesting is the poor performance of the Lib Dems. You'd think this was their opportunity.
Some analysis:
The 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election, held on February 26, resulted in a historic victory for the Green Party, marking their first-ever parliamentary by-election win. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and councillor, overturned a 13,000-vote Labour majority to become the party’s first MP in the North of England.
Vote Counts and Results
The result was a significant upset, with Labour collapsing into third place—the first time the party has placed third in a seat it was defending since 1982.| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change (from 2024) |
| Hannah Spencer | Green Party | 14,980 | 40.7% | +27.5% |
| Matt Goodwin | Reform UK | 10,578 | 28.7% | +14.6% |
| Angeliki Stogia | Labour | 9,364 | 25.4% | -25.4% |
| Charlotte Cadden | Conservative | 706 | 1.9% | -6.0% |
| Jackie Pearcey | Lib Dem | 653 | 1.8% | -2.0% |
Analysis of the Outcome
1. Turnout comparisonTurnout was 47.6%, which is exceptionally high for a by-election. It was almost identical to the 2024 general election turnout of 47.8% (a negligible drop of 0.2 percentage points). This suggests the Green victory wasn't just due to "normal" voters staying home, but rather a high level of engagement and a massive shift in preference among those who did vote.
2. Did Labour lose support or did Greens gain new voters?
It was a combination of both:
- Labour's Collapse: Labour's vote share plummeted by 25.4%. Analysts and party insiders pointed to local anger over the national leadership's stance on Gaza and the controversial decision by the NEC to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing as the candidate.
- Green Surge: The Greens ran an energetic campaign focused on local issues and "anti-establishment" sentiment. They achieved a massive 27.5% swing, positioning themselves as the primary "progressive" alternative to Labour.
Reform UK made significant progress, finishing in second place with 28.7% of the vote—nearly doubling their 2024 share. While they did not win, their performance confirmed their status as a major force in traditionally "safe" Labour heartlands. Candidate Matt Goodwin (a political scientist and pundit) outperformed the Labour candidate, though he later faced criticism for claiming the Green win was a result of "sectarian politics."
