Green Upset in Gorton and Denton Deepens Crisis for Starmer
Hannah Spencer's win gave the Greens their first Westminster by-election victory and a fifth MP, pushing Labour into third and intensifying pressure before May 7 elections.
BBC NewsGreen by-election victory shows insurgent parties are here to stay
CNNHow a working-class plumber threw a wrench in Starmer’s election plans | CNN
ABC NewsTakeaways from a UK special election won by the Green Party over Starmer's Labour
NBC NewsLeft-wing plumber helps Greens sink ruling Labour and far-right in surprise U.K. election win
Overview
Hannah Spencer of the Green Party won the Gorton and Denton by-election with roughly 14,890 to 14,980 votes, pushing Labour into third place.
The poll was triggered by the resignation of former Labour health minister Andrew Gwynne, who was suspended from the parliamentary party for offensive WhatsApp messages a year ago.
Police are investigating emails suggesting Peter Mandelson passed sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein; Mandelson was arrested, questioned and released on bail and was fired in September 2025.
Spencer’s vote share was about 40–41% with a reported 26.4% swing from Labour to Greens; Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin had 10,578 votes and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia had 9,364.
The result raises pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of May 7 local and regional elections, with several Labour figures warning poor May results could prompt leadership challenges.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the result as a dramatic upset by emphasizing conflict and decline: evocative verbs ("sucker punch," "stunning blow"), ideological labels ("eco-populist," "left-wing threat"), and pundit commentary highlighting Labour's paralysis. They foreground the victor’s populist messaging and hardline Reform statements to construct a narrative of political realignment and voter anger.
FAQ
Andrew Gwynne, the former Labour MP who had held the seat since 1931, resigned on health grounds in January 2026[1]. The search results indicate he was suspended from the parliamentary party for offensive WhatsApp messages sent a year prior, which contributed to the circumstances leading to his departure and the triggering of the by-election[1].
Spencer's win was the Green Party's first-ever parliamentary by-election victory and gave them their fifth MP overall[1]. It was particularly significant because the Greens came from third place in the 2024 General Election to win with 40% of the vote, overturning Labour's 13,000 majority with a 26 percentage point swing—a feat accomplished only 18 times in 100 years[4]. Spencer also became the Green Party's first MP in the North of England[1].
