It is claimed ‘Labour want to drag Greens down with them’ in latest by-election drama

Labour would prefer Reform to win the Gorton and Denton by-election over the Green Party, it has been claimed.

With just days to go until polls open to voters, the Greens are now choosing to ignore so-called ‘attacks’ made by Labour.

Hannah Spencer, the Greens candidate, has been the bookie’s favourite to take the seat left vacant by former MP Andrew Gwynne. But her party fears that Labour’s desperation to cling on to power is pushing them to discredit the Greens – potentially handing a win to Reform.

Nigel Farage has been heavily present in the eastern Greater Manchester constituency in recent weeks, as has Zack Polanski of the Greens. Although their politics are vastly different, the pair agree on one thing – this election is a fight between Greens and Reform.

Labour denies the idea they are in this for third place. The red roses believe they can retain the seat they comfortably won at the 2024 General Election with a majority of 13,413. 

Despite their denial, the Greens feel the inevitability of their loss is a reality Labour has now woken up to. 

A spokesperson for the Green Party said: “As we move closer to the by-election it becomes more and more clear it’s Greens vs Reform in Gorton and Denton. The independent polling says so, all of the tactical voting websites say so, and the bookies say so. 

“Labour though are desperate. Because they know this opens the doors to Greens winning all over the country. 

“This was never about Gorton and Denton for Labour, this was about them holding onto power. They would rather see Reform win this seat than Greens. Because in Labour’s own words, a Green win would be ‘existential’. 

“They don’t believe they can win now, but they’re desperate to pull Greens down with them with an endless stream of sensationalist attack adverts. Greens plan at this stage is to ignore Labour and to keep on campaigning, because we know every vote could be the difference between beating Reform’s hate and electing Greens hope.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has repeatedly insisted that Labour has ‘blown it’ in Gorton and Denton. He has referred to ‘cheap smears’ previously made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer that ‘lamps would go out across Europe once again’ if the Greens got into power. 

In response to the Green Party’s claims, deputy leader of the Labour Party, Lucy Powell said: “I’ve been out campaigning and speaking to residents nearly every day in this campaign because communities in Gorton and Denton and what happens in my home city of Manchester really matters to me, and to Labour. Angeliki Stogia will be a champion for this area because she is rooted in Manchester politics and cares deeply about our people and our city. 

“She has spent the last 12 years of her life delivering for residents here. Any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous nonsense.

“The Greens are increasingly desperate, throwing mud, peddling misinformation and misquoting respected academics.

“Voters know – like the Green Party knows – that this is a constituency of two halves: Denton which is a straight fight between Labour and Reform with the Greens nowhere; and the south side where the Greens have some support which they are taking from Labour. All the evidence is clear: only Labour has the depth and breadth, and history, in this seat to stop Reform. 

“The Greens want to give Labour a bloody nose – but this is more important than that. Let’s not forget what happened in Runcorn which was lost by just 6 votes – now the community there has an MP who said she was driven “mad” by TV adverts with black and Asian people.

“Voting Greens risks the people of Gorton and Denton getting Matt Goodwin as their MP. A man who proudly aligned himself with Tommy Robinson and who challenged the Englishness of non white people.

“Reform’s toxic politics have no place in our city. Only Labour can beat Reform.”

Labour have also targeted Reform with some of their more aggressive  campaigning, suggesting Matt Goodwin is ‘driving a wedge between communities’ in the constituency using divisive politics. This is something the Reform candidate has rejected on a number of occasions during the campaign trail.

This area around Gorton and Denton has been in Labour hands for decades, despite constituency boundary maps changing in recent years. Losing this seat would represent a major blow to the current government.