image sourced from original article at The Green Party has won the Gorton and Denton by-election in a historic breakthrough, overturning a Labour majority of more than 13,000 votes and securing its first ever parliamentary by-election victory. Hannah Spencer, a local councillor and plumber, won 14,980 votes, defeating Reform candidate Matthew Goodwin and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia, who finished third in what had been a Labour stronghold.
The result is a major blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, intensifying pressure on his leadership after a series of political setbacks and poor polling. Labour had won the seat comfortably at the 2024 general election, but the Greens successfully positioned themselves as the strongest anti-Reform option, while also appealing to disaffected left-leaning voters.
The campaign was marked by bitter exchanges, allegations of misinformation and claims of illegal family voting, which local officials denied. Both Reform and the Greens called for transparency over the conduct of the vote. The upset victory raises fresh questions about Labour’s electoral coalition, with support appearing to erode on both its left and right flanks.
