The Green Party captured a parliamentary seat in a special election in Gorton and Denton near Manchester, delivering a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old local councillor and plumber, won about 40 percent of the vote, defeating Labour in one of its long-standing strongholds.

Starmer had urged left-leaning voters to unite behind Labour to counter the rise of Reform United Kingdom, a right-wing populist party focused on immigration. Instead, many progressive voters rallied behind Spencer, whose energetic campaign and strong social media presence helped mobilize support, including from Muslim voters seeking stronger backing for Palestinians in Gaza.

While a single special election does not significantly alter the balance of power in Parliament, the loss is symbolically damaging for Labour. The result underscores growing dissatisfaction with Starmer’s leadership in areas that were crucial to his party’s national victory and raises fresh concerns about Labour’s prospects in the next general election.