Green Party’s Hannah Spencer wins Gorton and Denton by-election

Hannah Spencer of the Green Party of England and Wales has won the Gorton and Denton by-election, becoming the constituency’s new Member of Parliament in a result that overturns more than a century of Labour dominance.

The poll, held on 26 February with the count taking place at Manchester Central, was declared in the early hours of 27 February. The acting returning officer confirmed that Ms Spencer secured 14,980 votes, ahead of Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin on 10,578 and Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia on 9,364.

Turnout was 47.62 per cent, with 36,814 votes cast from an electorate of more than 76,000.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of long-standing Labour MP Andrew Gwynne in January on health grounds.

Ms Spencer’s victory marks the first by-election gain for the Greens in the constituency and is likely to send ripples through the national political landscape. The contest had been widely described in the run up as a three-way race between Labour, Reform UK and the Greens.

“Working hard should get you a nice life”

In an emotional acceptance speech, Ms Spencer described her campaign journey, pledging to represent all residents, regardless of how they voted.

“I didn’t grow up wanting to be in Parliament. I’m a plumber,” she said. “And two weeks ago, during all this, I also qualified as a plasterer, because even in chaos, even under pressure, I get things done.

“I’m no different to every single person here in this constituency. I work hard. That is what we do.”

She spoke passionately about the pressures facing working families, arguing that “working hard used to get you something, a home, security and the prospect of a holiday, but that many now struggle to afford food, heating and school uniforms.”

“I don’t think it’s remotely radical to say that working hard should get you a nice life,” she said. “And if you’re not able to work, you should still have a nice life. Absolutely everybody should get a nice life.”

Ms Spencer said thousands of conversations on the doorstep had shaped her campaign, with residents telling her they were “sick of being let down and looked down on”.

A local voice

A working-class plumber who previously lived in the constituency and continues to live in Greater Manchester, Ms Spencer has emphasised her local connection throughout the campaign.

She told the Tameside Reporter before polling day that being selected by local party members demonstrated how the Greens “function democratically”, contrasting that with larger parties where, she argued, candidates are often chosen by central leadership.

Hannah talking to the Reporter at a campaign day earlier this month.

Housing - particularly the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) - antisocial behaviour and the state of local high streets were among the most frequently raised concerns during the campaign.

“I know the issues people really care about, whether that’s housing development or antisocial behaviour,” she said previously. “People don’t feel like they’ve been listened to very much.”

In her victory speech, she vowed to fight for clean air, good schools and thriving high streets, saying she “absolutely refuse[s] to accept” that people should have to leave their communities in order to access a better quality of life.

Message of unity

Ms Spencer also used her speech to call for unity across the constituency’s diverse communities.

She referenced an attempted incident that happened just this week during Ramadan in which a man reportedly entered a nearby mosque carrying an axe, thanking local residents for standing together and warning against “politicians and divisive figures who comfortably scapegoat and play in our communities”.

“To those who didn’t vote for me, I will always work hard for you, and I will always be honest, and I will always be decent,” she said.

Addressing white working-class residents, she added: “We know how it feels to be looked down on… To people here in Gorton and Denton who feel left behind and isolated, I see you, and I will fight for you.”

She closed her speech with a nod to the area’s identity: “This is Manchester. And we do things differently here.”

A significant shift

The result represents a dramatic political shift in a seat previously considered the 6th safest for Labour. At the 2024 general election, Andrew Gwynne won with a comfortable margin, securing 36.7 per cent more votes than his nearest rival.

With turnout almost mirroring 2024 levels, the outcome suggests a substantial realignment among voters in Gorton and Denton.

For Ms Spencer, who described her candidacy as an effort to show that “working people from normal backgrounds can get a seat at the table”, the focus now turns from campaigning to Parliament.

“It would be an absolute honour to get people’s votes,” she said before polling day. “We work hard to get elected, and we work hard when we’re in those positions. It’s about restoring trust and showing there’s a different way of doing politics.”