Green Party takes Gorton and Denton in historic By Election as Labour slips to third

The Green Party has won the Gorton and Denton by election, securing its first-ever Westminster by-election victory as Hannah Spencer — a plumber-turned-politician — becomes the new MP. The result placed Reform in second and Labour in third, a shock to local political expectations and a marker of wider volatility in national politics.

Why this By Election matters

The result breaks a long local pattern: Labour had not lost in this area since 1931. Polling expert John Curtice has said the Greens significantly outperformed expectations and that the outcome leaves British politics more uncertain. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said voters are ready for an alternative to Labour, and Labour's former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner described the outcome as a wake-up call for her party.

How the contest unfolded: three-way tussle between Labour, Reform and the Greens

The campaign had been framed as a tight, three-way contest. Observers and commentators saw a potential three-horse race among Labour, Reform and the Green Party, with strategic questions about tactical voting shaping much of the debate. The seat was viewed as a key psychological test for national parties: a Labour hold would have offered a boost for Sir Keir Starmer after a difficult spell in 2026; a Reform win would have underlined growing momentum for that party; and a Green victory — now realised — marked a historic breakthrough.

Context from earlier contests and party dynamics

• This was the second Westminster by-election since the general election.
• Reform UK had previously won a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire last May, narrowly beating Labour.
• That earlier win represented the 10th consecutive Westminster by-election where a different party took the seat from the one that had held it previously.
• Reform had also fallen short in a by-election for the seat of Caerphilly in the Welsh Parliament last autumn, when Plaid Cymru persuaded many voters who did not want Reform to back them.

Allegations of family voting and official responses

A group of voluntary election observers reported witnessing what they called extremely high levels of family voting at polling stations during the contest. Family voting was defined as a family member influencing another person's vote, for example by entering the polling booth with them. The Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 makes it an offence to be in a polling booth with another person to influence their vote.

Manchester City Council's returning officer said polling station staff were trained to watch for undue influence and that no such issues had been reported locally. The Electoral Commission said it was aware of the observer report and emphasised that electoral offences are a matter for the police, encouraging anyone who believes an offence occurred to report it to the relevant force.

Reform UK chair David Bull labelled family voting illegal and said it should be stamped out. When asked whether he believed it altered the outcome in Gorton and Denton, he said that, candidly, he thought that was probably not the case and urged calm and sober consideration of the matter.

Voting system debate amplified by the result

The by election renewed scrutiny of First Past the Post (FPTP). Critics argue FPTP struggles in multi-party contests: the 2024 general election was cited as highly disproportional, with Labour taking almost two-thirds of MPs from just over one-third of votes. Where three or more parties compete strongly, candidates can be elected with the support of fewer than a third of voters, meaning the ballots of a majority may not shape the outcome.

That dynamic has driven tactical campaigning in Gorton and Denton, with both Labour and the Green Party urging voters that they are the only option to stop Reform. Advocates of alternative systems highlighted Scottish local elections under the Single Transferable Vote (STV), where voters number candidates and votes can transfer until someone wins a majority — a mechanism presented as allowing voters to express true preferences without casting tactical ballots.

What happens next

Hannah Spencer's victory speech promised to fight for people who feel left behind, signalling the new MP's stated priorities. The immediate fallout includes party reactions and intensified debate over electoral fairness, tactical voting and local safeguards at polling stations. Observers note the result alters the political mood even if it does not change parliamentary arithmetic dramatically.

Some elements of the story remain contested or under review: the prevalence and impact of alleged family voting is being considered by election authorities and may evolve. Parties and commentators will continue to parse what this outcome portends for future contests and for broader questions about the voting system.