Prime Minister Keir Starmer suffered a major political setback after Labour lost one of its safest seats. The defeat came in Gorton and Denton, a Greater Manchester constituency the party had held for decades.
Hannah Spencer of the Green Party of England and Wales won 40.7% of the vote. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK secured 28.7%, pushing Labour into third place with 25.4%.
Labour chair Anna Turley called the result disappointing. The contest followed the resignation of the previous MP due to health reasons.
Starmer had invested personal authority in the campaign. He blocked Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing and visited the constituency this week. British leaders usually avoid such visits when defeat looms.
The loss deepens pressure on Starmer after weeks of turmoil. Critics attacked his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington due to past links with Jeffrey Epstein.
The result highlights Britain’s shifting political landscape. It also marks the Greens’ first by-election win in northern England, taking their Commons total to five seats.
