Residents of the Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton are preparing to elect a new Member of Parliament in a crucial by-election scheduled for February 26. This electoral contest was triggered by the resignation of long-serving Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who stepped down on January 22 citing health reasons. Gwynne, who represented the area for 21 years, first for Denton and Reddish from 2005 and then the newly-created Denton and Gorton from 2024, asked for privacy to recover. His departure also comes amidst an ongoing parliamentary standards investigation related to his involvement in the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp scandal, which led to his suspension by the Labour Party.

The Labour Party has selected Angeliki Stogia, a Manchester city councillor for Whalley Range, as its candidate. The announcement was made on Saturday, January 31, at the Jain Community Centre in Longsight. Ms Stogia, who has represented her ward since 2012, is a prominent figure in local politics with a background in transport, environment, and regeneration policy. Originally from Arta, Greece, she moved to the UK in the 1990s, studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, and became a naturalised British citizen, settling in Whalley Range in 2004. Her selection followed a closely fought internal contest where she beat Bury Council leader Eamonn O’Brien. Notably, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had initially sought to stand for Labour but was blocked by the party's ten-member National Executive (NEC) under a rule designed to prevent mayors from triggering costly by-elections. Ms Stogia expressed her excitement, stating, "I am a proud Mancunian woman. I have walked the streets of this constituency. This is about Manchester. Manchester is a city united, we are rejecting division." She emphasized her commitment to uniting the community and fighting divisive politics, particularly from Reform UK.

Reform UK has put forward Matthew Goodwin, a former university academic and GB News presenter, as its candidate. Mr. Goodwin, who announced his candidacy on January 27, framed the by-election as a "referendum on Keir Starmer," claiming it's a chance for the constituency's people to voice their opinion on the Labour leader and his "hopeless government." Reform leader Nigel Farage echoed this sentiment, arguing a vote for Labour is a vote for "uncontrolled mass immigration, broken borders, record high taxes, surging energy bills, and all the rest." A significant controversy has emerged around Mr. Goodwin's candidacy, as far-right activist Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) publicly endorsed him on X. Labour Party chair Anna Turley has written to Goodwin, urging him to publicly reject Robinson's support and views, stating, "Silence on this is not an option. Nor is deflection." Reform UK, in turn, stated it has been "consistently clear" on its view on Robinson and that "he isn't welcome in the party."

The Green Party's candidate is Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and councillor for Hale ward on Trafford Council. Launched on January 30, her campaign is positioned as a direct challenge to Reform, with Ms Spencer declaring, "The choice is clear - Green v Reform. Hope v hate. Only the Green Party can stop Reform in this by-election." She criticized Reform as "a party that loves Trump, that is backed by big finance and an extreme candidate who sees this place as just a rung on the radical right career." Green Party leader Zack Polanski, a Mancunian himself, endorsed Spencer, highlighting her dedication to working for the community and stressing the urgency to "stop Reform and make hope normal again." Ms Spencer has pledged to address the cost-of-living crisis, raise wages, and bring investment to the community.

The Liberal Democrats have named local campaigner Jackie Pearcey as their candidate. Ms Pearcey, who lives in Gorton and Denton and serves as president of the regional Lib Dems group, previously stood for election in 2017. She stated, "Voters in Gorton and Denton deserve so much more than the failing Labour government or the divisive politics of Reform UK." Her campaign will focus on championing issues such as the cost of living, fixing the NHS, and supporting local high streets and businesses.

The by-election has revealed a complex electoral dynamic. While Labour won the Greater Manchester seat with over half the vote (18,555) in 2024, with Reform UK coming second (5,142) and Greens third (4,810), the current contest is highly competitive. Labour is framing the battleground as a head-to-head with Reform, with Labour's chief whip Jonathan Reynolds calling it "definitely a Reform Labour head to head." Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell downplayed the Green Party's chances, stating they have "no councillors in this constituency at all, they’ve got no real base here at all," and insisting "this race is between us and Reform." Both Labour and the Greens, however, are positioning themselves as the party to beat Reform and its "divisive politics." The internal Labour friction concerning Andy Burnham's denied candidacy and the subsequent anonymous briefings against him also highlight ongoing party dynamics that could influence the by-election.