News: 'Starmer on ropes' and 'nightmare for Labour' after Greens win Gorton and Denton
The Greens have stunned the political landscape in Gorton and Denton, producing a by-election result that has dominated the news and prompted urgent debate about Labour's direction and leadership. The outcome — and the reaction it has set off from ministers, rival politicians and front pages — matters because it overturned a large Labour majority and has intensified calls for change within the party.
News front pages and immediate fallout
Multiple front pages used stark headlines such as 'Starmer on ropes', 'nightmare for Labour' and 'Green delight sparks nightmare for Labour'. Ministers said they believe it is now 'inevitable' that Sir Keir Starmer will not lead Labour into the election, even as Sir Keir said he would not step down and would continue to fight 'for as long as I've got breath in my body'. One front page said police are being urged to investigate 'clear evidence' of voter fraud amid warnings Britain is 'sleepwalking into sectarian politics'.
Hannah Spencer's victory speech and background
Hannah Spencer, the new Greens MP in Gorton and Denton, delivered a victory speech described as endearingly down to earth. She had never considered herself a politician, worked as a plumber and had recently qualified as a plasterer. Spencer spoke of pride in being a working-class woman from the constituency, said she understood how hard the cost of living crisis was for everyone, and praised neighbours who still look out for one another. She joked about Westminster's poor facilities — the toilets and buildings — and that she hoped she would 'remember her hard hat' when sworn in on Monday.
Vote numbers, swing and a historic comeback
The scale of the upset was clear in the numbers: the Greens took 40% of the vote, Reform trailed second on 28% and Labour was third on 25%. The Green Party went from third in this seat at the 2024 General Election to winning by 4, 400 votes over Reform UK, overturning Labour's 13, 000 majority with a 26 percentage point swing. It was only the 18th time in 100 years that a party had come from third to take a seat, a result that supporters say proves the Polanski surge is real and that the Greens can now argue they can beat Reform in working-class Britain as Zack Polanski positions the party firmly on Labour's left.
Reform's fury, accusations and the Labour leadership crisis
Reform's campaign figure Matt Goodwin reacted furiously, accusing the Greens of cheating and sectarianism after the result. Goodwin had previously made remarks that suggested anyone who was black or brown was not properly British and had suggested white girls should leave school and have babies rather than get jobs; those remarks were said to have upset the 40% of the constituency who were black or brown and many women. Nigel Farage was said to have made a similar point from a distance. Commentators noted Goodwin looked 'absolutely furious' and that he had come to believe it was his divine right to win.
Muted Greens celebration and the broader political consequences
The Greens' post-victory event at a wedding venue in Gorton and Denton was surprisingly muted: Zack Polanski and his team, described as new to this level of success, faced a sea of empty chairs and only a smattering of supporters in a huge, near-deserted room. Seasoned operators such as Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer or Ed Davey would have had placards and activists cheering; instead Polanski and Hannah Spencer received only a smattering of applause as they took the stage. Nonetheless, commentators called the implications 'absolutely mega'—a nightmare for Labour as it now finds itself fighting on two fronts, with calls from within the party to shift to the left or risk further turmoil.
Calls for change and wider security and diplomatic threads
Pressure intensified with MPs and senior figures warning Sir Keir to move the party left 'or resign' and with Angela Rayner described as leading a new threat to the prime minister — quotes on the front pages had her openly calling on the party to 'wake up' and 'be braver' and warning 'it's terminal'. Separately, one front page carried a line that 'Labour must push ahead with a crackdown on migration' and noted Shabana Mahmood will urge that next week. Other headlines on the same set of front pages ranged from 'Wake-up call' to scenes of vandalism: a vandalised statue of Winston Churchill drew a headline 'How dare you!' with an underlined subheading noting arrests as a vandal 'defaces statue of British hero who helped save our freedoms'. Another front page led with a story headlined 'He's battered beyond recognition' about child killer Ian Huntley and said his mum visited him in hospita. On diplomatic and security matters, some countries, including the US and the UK, have ordered some citizens and diplomats to leave the Middle East over fears that 'a Trump administration attack on Iran could spiral into a regional conflict'.
