Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced an embarrassing setback on Friday after the Green Party of England and Wales captured a parliamentary seat Labour had dominated for nearly a century.
The Green Party’s Hannah Spencer won the by election in Gorton and Denton with 40.7% of the vote, pushing Labour Party into third place on 25.4%. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK finished second with 28.7%.
The result marks the first time the Greens have won a parliamentary by election in northern England, increasing their representation in the 650seat House of Commons to five.
Labour Party chair Anna Turley described the outcome as “clearly disappointing,” while leading pollster John Curtice called it a “seismic moment” that leaves Britain’s political future more uncertain than at any time since World War Two.
Starmer had personally campaigned in the constituency, blocking Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing and staking his authority on retaining the seat.
The loss adds to mounting pressure on the prime minister following recent political turmoil, including backlash over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
Gorton and Denton, once considered part of Labour’s so called “Red Wall,” had delivered more than half its votes to the party at the 2024 general election.
But sluggish economic growth, policy reversals and internal tensions eroded support.
While governing parties often lose by elections, the scale of defeat to a left wing rival highlights the fragmentation of Britain’s two party system. National polls now show five parties including the Greens, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats drawing double digit support.
Although Starmer is not expected to face an immediate leadership challenge, attention is turning to May’s local and regional elections in Wales and Scotland, where further losses could intensify calls for change.
The result underscores a volatile electorate, with traditional party loyalties weakening and insurgent movements reshaping British politics.
Goodness Anunobi
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