Gorton and Denton by-election: Live outcome as council dismisses household voting claims

Too close to call

As things stand, all three contenders are saying the Gorton and Denton by-election is too close to call.

Labour won the seat with more than 50% of the vote last time out, and it was in it’s top 10% safest seats.

Whatever the result, that it could be this close shows the scale of the challenge facing Keir Starmer.

Manchester Council dismisses ‘family voting’ claims

Manchester City Council has responded with fury after claims “family voting” was witnessed at polling booths.

A spokesperson for the Acting Returning Officer said: “Polling station staff are trained to look out for any evidence of undue influence on voters. No such issues have been reported today.

“If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours so that immediate action could be taken. We have operated a central by-election hub which was has been rapidly responding to reported issues during the day, in liaison with the police – who had a presence at every polling station – where necessary.

“It is extremely disappointing that Democracy Volunteers have waited until after polls have closed to make such claims.”

Labour’s campaign to win over undecided voters through Andy Burnham

If Labour are to win the by-election, they will do so by bringing over undecided voters.

Sources last week thought the party was holding 50% of those who backed it in 2024, and were working on bringing the rest back.

This was done through “undecided nights”, where voters who told canvassers they were unsure were invited to an event with Andy Burnham and Angeliki Stogia, who then took questions to try and address their concerns.

These were a constant through the campaign, with the Greater Manchester Mayor a major factor, despite being denied a chance to run himself.

Votes arriving at count

Votes are now being taken to the count, and the long night of counting them can truly begin.

Nigel Farage says family voting in ‘predominantly Muslim areas’

The results aren’t in, but Nigel Farage has already started questioning the result, following a report of high levels of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Mr Farage said it “raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.

Matt Goodwin says Reform UK are a ‘family’

The Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin has also thanked supporters. He wrote on X: “Polls have closed. I would like to take this moment to thank all Reform members who have supported our campaign. As I said, we are not a political party. We are a movement and a family.”

On the subject of family, here’s a reminder what he had to say about Robert Jenrick.

Family voting concerns

Election observers have claimed they saw “concerningly high levels” of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election

Family voting is an illegal practice where two voters use one polling booth at the same time, and can involve husbands instructing their wives how to vote.

Democracy Volunteers UK observed 32 cases of family voting in 15 of the 22 polling stations.

A spokesman for the organisation labelled it the “highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10 year history of observing elections in the UK.”

Deputy Labour leader arrives

Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell has arrived at the by-election count.

The close of poll messages

Both Labour and the Greens have responded to polls closing with statements that suggest they are both downbeat over their chances.

The Greens talked about giving Labour “the scare of their life”, while Labour admitted by-elections are “always difficult” for the Government, and that there were no easy answers.

While both also found positivity, it suggests neither are overly confident they’ve got over the line.

Result expected after 4am

Sophie from the count again here. We’ve just had an announcement from the acting returning officer – the person who ensures the election is administered effectively.

He said the verification process will kick off at 10:30pm. During this time, staff will count the number of ballot papers so they can announce the voter turnout.

Election staff will then begin counting the votes for each candidate. He said he hopes the vote will be announced from 4am and says the emphasis is on “being accurate over speed”.

Intense energy at the count in Manchester

The Mirror’s Sophie Huskisson here.

I’ve just arrived at the by-election count in central Manchester, where I happened to bump into Green Party leader Zack Polanski at the entrance.

I asked him if he was feeling good, to which he said a resounding “Yes!”. He’s now taking part in TV interviews just beside me.

The energy in the room is already intense, with journalists, party staff and council officials running around frantically. As we came in, staff at Manchester Electoral Services were having a huddle just as polls closed. They’ve now taken their seats ready for a long night ahead.

Greens ‘thrown everything at election’

A Green source says the party have given Labour the “scare of their life”.

They said: “We’ve thrown everything at this election, and we know we’ve given Labour the scare of their life in what was not so long ago one of their safest seats. We’re confident that despite the Labour dirty tactics and despite the well-funded Reform machine, the Green vote has held up well.”

Labour ‘rejected politics of division’, campaign lead says

As polls close, Andrew Western MP, Labour’s Political Lead for the Gorton and Denton by-election, has claimed the party “rejected” the politics of division.
He said: “Angeliki Stogia and our fantastic Labour team have run a positive, local campaign focused on bringing communities together in Manchester and Tameside, firmly rejecting the toxic politics of Reform’s Matthew Goodwin.

“By-elections are always difficult for incumbent governments and this one has been no different. The politics of anger and easy answers offered by Reform and the Greens won’t deliver the change communities want to see on the cost of living, or on fixing our NHS.

“Labour will always choose unity over division and the Labour Government will continue working every day to cut the cost of living, drive down NHS waiting lists and deliver renewal in our communities.”

Polls close

It’s 10pm, and the votes are now all in. These will now be moved to the count, where the long process of working out who has won can begin.

Greens confident but vote looking ‘extremely tight’

A Green source tells me the contest is looking “close”. They said: “Green votes are holding up, but it’s all coming down to turnout. It’s looking extremely tight. We’ve seen a strong turnout in areas with a higher Muslim population during the daytime, ahead of iftar, which is very good news for Greens. Our volunteers are seeing many undecideds go Green today. But whatever the outcome is, it’s remarkable that the Greens have been in this since the beginning, competing against a massively funded Reform and a huge Labour machinery.”

Labour claim Zack Polanski admits the Greens can’t win

Earlier today Zack Polanski was accused of telling someone the Greens can’t win, in a conversation that was overheard.

The Greens leader denies the accusation, but it’s a sign of how tense the campaign has been.

Zack Polanski vs Lucy Powell

One of the main issues with a lack of hard data for the by-election, is that it allows everyone to make claims or accusations without needing proof.

One of the constants during this campaign has been the exchange of open letters between the Green leader Zack Polanski, and the Labour deputy Leader Lucy Powell.

Both have accused the other of misrepresenting who the real challenger is to Reform, and while they can both claim to have the data, it’s hard to verify.

It has made an already tense campaign even more bitter.

Who are the candidates?

With twenty minutes until polls close, here’s a closer look at who the candidates are in this election.

Reform UK suspended campaigner

It’s not been a straightforward campaign for Reform UK, with interim campaign manager Adam Mitula suspended by the party after appearing to post a racial slur aimed at black people, and also a derogatory remark about Jewish women.

Keir Starmer calls for voters to ‘strike a blow against hate’

Earlier this week, Keir Starmer called on voters to “strike a blow against hate” by sending Reform packing.

The Prime Minister declared only Labour could defeat Nigel Farage’s party in Gorton and Denton, and warned a vote for the Greens and the Lib Dems risked letting Reform in.

What time is the result?

The result of this election is expected in the early hours. You can get more details below.

Ed Miliband accuses Matt Goodwin of claiming his father isn’t British

I went on Labour’s battle bus yesterday, where I spoke to the Energy Secretary about the Reform candidate Matt Goodwin.

In a personal intervention, Ed Miliband labelled Matt Goodwin a disgrace, and claimed his comments about Britishness represented an attack on his family.

Labour battle bus sing-a-long

Labour has deployed a large battle bus during the campaign, emblazoned with the words “Remember the 350 mil for the NHS? You can’t trust Farage”.

Today I am told it went past the Green HQ, blaring out “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” while Andy Burnham and activists swapped the “da-da da” for “Vote Labour”.

What Labour tell us

I’ve been to Gorton and Denton several times through the race, and Labour’s mood has changed as the contest went on.

In my first visit, Labour sources suggested they were behind Reform, and had ground to make up.

This week, Labour figures were more confident, saying they thought they would win, having squeezed the Green vote.

Last week when I joined Angeliki Stogia and Labour canvassers as they knocked on doors, I did see them change the mind of people planning to vote Green.

It’s not a large sample size, but perhaps an indicator of who Labour think they need to win over.

Will there be an exit poll?

Unlike a general election where there’s a reliable exit poll, there’s unlikely to be any hard data suggesting who the winner will be when polls close in an hour.

The lack of data has been an issue throughout the race, with both Labour and the Greens claiming to be the main challenger to Reform.

Due to the contest being one seat, and the large number of people in the constituency who don’t speak English, polling is much harder.

High turnout

According to Ben Walker, the co-founder of polling aggregator Britain Elects, the turnout appears to be very good, with numbers as strong as 2024 or higher.

It’s unclear which party this is good for, but last week Labour’s Deputy leader Lucy Powell told The Mirror that the Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin had “galvanised” people towards Labour.

Labour sets new record

In a sign of how seriously Labour has taken the contest, earlier Labour activists were told they’ve broken the record for the most contacts (people spoken to) in a by-election on polling day.

Andy Burnham message

Earlier today Andy Burnham launched a last minute plea for people in Gorton and Denton to vote Labour – and reject the “division” of Reform.

The Greater Manchester Mayor joined candidate Angeliki Stogia for a polling day tour of the constituency urging people to get out and vote for her

Good evening

Gorton and Denton voters are currently going to the polls ahead of them closing at 10pm.

The by-election in Greater Manchester appears to be a three-way race, with both Labour, Reform UK and the Greens all saying they’re the favourites.

The result is expected in the early hours, but we’ll have lots of analysis and updates through the nights.