The Green Party has won its first parliamentary by-election in Greater Manchester's Gorton & Denton, defeating Labour. Labour suffered a humiliating defeat in the by-election, a seat where it received more than 50% of the votes in the 2024 general election. The Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, a councillor and plumber, emerged victorious to become the party's fifth MP, with Reform coming second.
Labour's candidate Angeliki Stogia received 9,364 votes, down from 18,555 in the 2024 general election. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer broke his silence after the defeat, acknowledging the result was 'disappointing' and that voters were 'frustrated'. When asked if he had considered resigning, Sir Keir Starmer said he would 'keep on fighting' for the people who needed a Labour government.
The Prime Minister has taken our Labour Party in the wrong direction by trying to out-Reform, Reform. We need to be a proper Labour government and live by real Labour Party values. He has proved that he is not the leader that can and will do that. He has to go for the good of Scotland, the UK and the party.
He also pledged to 'fight against extremes in politics' on both the left and the right that threatened to 'tear our country apart'. The by-election result has raised fresh questions about Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. Labour MP Brian Leishman called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, saying voters had rejected the 'bad judgement calls' of the Prime Minister and his advisers.
The general secretary of the Labour-affiliated TSSA union, Maryam Eslamdoust, also demanded Sir Keir Starmer's resignation. Angela Rayner, Labour's former deputy leader, did not call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign but issued a damning verdict on the by-election result. Labour's National Executive Committee, including Sir Keir Starmer, barred Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing as Labour's candidate in the by-election.