Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and recently qualified plasterer, has made history by becoming the first Green Party MP in the north of England. Overturning a substantial 13,000-vote Labour majority in the Gorton and Denton by-election, Spencer secured a convincing victory with 40.69% of the vote (14,980 votes), establishing a majority of 4,402 over Reform UK. Her win, which marks the Green Party's best-ever by-election result and their fifth Westminster MP, is poised to reshape British politics for years to come, particularly by signaling to progressive voters that they do not have to vote Labour to defeat Reform.

Spencer, who had virtually no name recognition in south-east Manchester a month prior, campaigned vigorously as “Hannah the plumber.” Her victory speech at the Manchester Central convention complex at 4:30 am on Friday, February 27, was visibly emotional. She famously apologized to her customers for having to cancel their booked work, stating, “I’m heading to parliament… When I get there, I will make space for everyone doing jobs like mine. We will finally get a seat at the table.” Spencer's campaign, which integrated her working-class background and experience, focused on issues such as the cost of living, the NHS, and wealth inequality, rather than traditional environmental policies. She eloquently articulated the frustrations of working people who feel their hard work no longer guarantees a good life, instead benefiting billionaires. Having grown up in Bolton and started her plumbing business in 2015, Spencer returned to education to qualify as a gas engineer and plasterer, continuing her training even during the campaign. Her political awakening was spurred by the Covid pandemic, Partygate, and the resulting inequalities, leading her to join the Greens in 2022 and become a councillor in Trafford in 2023.

The by-election results saw Reform UK finish second with 10,578 votes (28.73%), while Labour, which had held the seat for nearly 100 years, suffered an embarrassing third place with 9,364 votes (25.32%). The Conservatives performed dismally, securing only 706 votes (1.9%) and losing their deposit, marking their worst by-election result in history. The turnout was 47.62%, with 36,903 votes cast, a level similar to the general election, indicating a shift in existing voter allegiances rather than a surge of new voters.

Labour’s catastrophic defeat in a seat Andrew Gwynne had held with a whopping 50.8% of the vote in the 2024 General Election, can be attributed to several factors. Gwynne's resignation following the 'Trigger Me Timbers' WhatsApp scandal, where he was accused of making offensive remarks, significantly damaged Labour's reputation. More profoundly, Labour's handling of the conflict in Gaza alienated a substantial number of Muslim voters, who constitute a third of the electorate in Gorton and Denton. The Green Party, in contrast, adopted a direct language of solidarity with Palestine, with Spencer appearing on leaflets in Urdu and urging voters to