STORY
The Green Party has won the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, held on 26 February 2026. Candidate Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and local councillor, secured the seat with 14,980 votes, representing 40.7% of the total vote share. The result marks the Green Party’s first ever parliamentary by-election victory and increases their total number of MPs in Westminster to five.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne in January due to health reasons. Gwynne had held the seat for Labour with a majority of 13,413 in the 2024 general election, but he was sitting as an independent at the time of his departure following a suspension from the party. Turnout for the vote was 47.6%, which is nearly identical to the participation levels seen in the constituency during the general election two years ago.
The final results saw a significant shift in the local political makeup, with Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin finishing in second place with 10,578 votes (28.7%). Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, finished third with 9,364 votes (25.4%), while the Conservative candidate, Charlotte Cadden, received 706 votes (1.9%), resulting in a lost deposit. The Liberal Democrats finished in fifth place with 653 votes.
In her victory speech delivered at the count in Manchester, Spencer thanked the voters of Gorton and Denton and focused on the economic pressures facing local residents. She highlighted issues surrounding the cost of living and criticised the use of divisive political rhetoric during the campaign. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the result as very disappointing, acknowledging voter frustration while noting that mid-term by-election losses are not uncommon for incumbent governments.