Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party experienced a startling defeat on Feb 27 in a Greater Manchester by-election, losing a parliamentary seat it had controlled for almost 100 years. The contest for the vacant Gorton and Denton seat produced a result that commentators described as an embarrassment for Labour and as further evidence of the weakening of Britain's traditional two-party dominance.
The Green Party candidate, Hannah Spencer, won the seat, taking 40.7% of the vote in the election that was triggered when the sitting member of parliament resigned for health reasons. Nigel Farage's Reform UK finished second with 28.7% of the vote, while Labour trailed in third place on 25.4%.
Labour party chair Anna Turley characterized the outcome as "clearly disappointing." The loss comes at a politically sensitive time for Starmer, who had tied substantial political capital to winning the contest. Prior to the by-election he prevented the popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing for the seat and made a campaign visit to the constituency this week, an action noted because British leaders typically avoid intense local campaigning in riskier seats.
The scale of the setback is underscored by a comparison to the last general election in 2024, when Labour secured just over half the vote in Gorton and Denton. Between then and the by-election, the party's share of local support declined markedly, a fall the article links to Starmer's unpopularity, slow economic growth, and a string of scandals and policy reversals.
Political strain on Starmer had already increased earlier in the month, when several Labour lawmakers called for his resignation after he appointed veteran party figure Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. The appointment prompted criticism because of Mandelson's links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the controversy became a focal point for internal calls for accountability.
Observers and some Labour colleagues said that while an immediate leadership challenge was unlikely had Starmer lost, the by-election result adds fuel to the possibility of a contest after the May elections. Labour is expected by some to perform poorly in the upcoming local and regional polls, including for the parliaments in Wales and Scotland - contests that commentators suggested could reshape the party's internal calculations.
The victory in Gorton and Denton is notable for the Green Party in other respects as well. It is the first time the Greens have won a one-off parliamentary by-election or secured a seat in the north of England, increasing the party's representation in the House of Commons to five out of 650 seats. The party's platform includes positions mentioned in the result coverage, such as supporting withdrawal from NATO and legalising recreational drugs.
Context and immediate implications
The by-election result represents a visible disruption to Britain's conventional party landscape. For Labour - a party that once held the seat comfortably - the outcome compounds recent political headaches and provides a tangible measure of decreased voter support in at least one constituency. For the Greens and Reform UK, the result signals electoral momentum in a by-election environment.
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Anna Turley, Labour party chair, described the result as "clearly disappointing."
This article reports the election outcome, the vote shares for the top three parties, and the internal party tensions described in the reporting. It does not attempt to speculate beyond the statements and figures provided.