Keir Starmer suffers nightmare defeat in Gorton and Denton by-election
Keir Starmer’s Labour party was pushed into third place in a crucial by-election in Gorton and Denton – a seat which has been in Labour hands for nearly 100 years
Newly elected Green MP Hannah Spencer takes a selfie with Party Leader Zack Polanski (Image: Getty Images)
Labour has suffered a bitter defeat in a former Manchester stronghold as the Green Party pulled off a major by-election upset.
Keir Starmer’s party was pushed into third place in Gorton and Denton, a Greater Manchester seat which has been in Labour hands for nearly 100 years. Green candidate Hannah Spencer stormed to victory with 14,980 votes – a majority of 4,402 – triumphing over hard-right Reform candidate Matt Goodwin on 10,578 and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia on 9,364.
The victory – the Greens’ first ever in a parliamentary by-election – spells trouble for Mr Starmer, as Labour failed to defend a seat it won with more than 13,000 votes at the 2024 election. Recriminations are already beginning over the party’s performance – and the decision by Labour chiefs to block Andy Burnham from standing in the race.
READ MORE: Gorton and Denton by-election: Live result as Greens SHOCK Labour and Reform with victoryREAD MORE: Who is Hannah Spencer? Green Party’s NEW Gorton and Denton MP after shock result
In the run up the vote, Labour insiders indicated they thought the contest was winnable as the party threw everything at trying to hold the seat. But by around 1am, the mood started to shift and Labour sources began to say that the Greens had turned out a higher than anticipated number of supporters.
The result risks undermining Labour’s argument that it is the only party to take on Reform, and paves the way for trouble in a pivotal set of local elections in May. It also marks a seismic blow to Keir Starmer’s authority only weeks after he survived a brush with political death when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to quit.
The PM is likely to face a backlash from his own party over the decision by Labour chiefs to block Mr Burnham from standing.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley MP said: “This result is clearly disappointing. By-elections are normally difficult for the party of government, and this election was no different. We have had thousands of conversations over the last few weeks and we know the majority of voters here did not want the poisonous politics of Nigel Farage and Reform.”
She added: “The politics of anger and easy answers offered by the Greens and Reform won’t deliver this.”
Ms Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, jokingly apologised to her customers as she delivered an emotional victory speech. She said: “I think I might have to cancel the work that you haven’t booked in, because I’m heading to Parliament. And when I get there, I will make space for everyone doing jobs like mine,
“We will finally get a seat at the table. We can demand better without hating each other. We ran a hopeful campaign backed by thousands of volunteers and activists.”
A row erupted during the count over claims of family voting – an illegal practice where two people confer, collude or direct each other on how to cast their ballot. It can involve husbands telling their wives how to vote.
Democracy Volunteers – an election observer group – said they had seen “concerningly high levels of family voting” in the battle. Officials said no such issues had been reported throughout the day and questioned why the group had not raised the serious allegations.
Sore loser Nigel Farage ranted about “sectarian cheating” as his divisive candidate failed to triumph.
