Gorton and Denton<\/a> is the sort of post-industrial heartland where Labour<\/a> once performed so strongly, it would weigh, not count, every vote. In the last days before the election, candidates and their teams are trying hard to win over the small group of undecided voters who will determine the outcome.<\/p>\n Labour\u2019s former MP Andrew Gwyne<\/a> prompted the by-election next Thursday<\/a>. His resignation on health grounds came after controversial messages on a leaked WhatsApp group.<\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n The contest has already attracted controversy. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham<\/a>, who has made no secret of wanting to challenge Sir Keir Starmer<\/a> for the party leadership, was blocked by his rival from standing as Labour\u2019s candidate.<\/a> Starmer said it would cost the taxpayer millions and leave the mayoralty vulnerable. But without Burnham\u2019s name recognition, it\u2019s a wide-open contest.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need an extra blue bin at the moment,\u201d jokes Christine Daley, in order to recycle all the parties\u2019 leaflets being posted through her letterbox. The retired aviation worker, 68, is dodging the freezing rain in Denton\u2019s retail park. \u201cI\u2019ve always voted Labour all my life, but that\u2019s definitely not happening, I can tell you that for sure. I just don\u2019t like the party anymore, I don\u2019t agree with it. The guy that was running it round here [Gwynne], he ruined it for a lot of people<\/a>. The Prime Minister: not for me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Daley is disappointed with the Government\u2019s record on migration, Waspi women not receiving compensation and being dragged into paying tax on her own pension. She also disapproves of Labour\u2019s former deputy leader Angela Rayner\u2019s underpaying tax on a second property<\/a>. But Daley doesn\u2019t yet know which candidate she would prefer.<\/p>\n Burnham\u2019s meetings with voters<\/p>\n But Labour has a secret weapon for undecided voters, and it\u2019s not Starmer. There remains speculation that a damaging loss in the by-election could spell the end for his leadership. The unpopular Prime Minister has been noticeable by his absence in this part of Manchester.<\/p>\n Rather, individuals who could be swayed to vote Labour are invited to small, private gatherings. At these meetings, Burnham, Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia, and Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, focus their efforts on groups of twelve voters at a time.<\/p>\n The Greater Manchester mayor has been helping out despite being blocked as a candidate \u2013 but the decision to prevent his return to Parliament could still come back to bite Starmer.<\/p>\n Stogia, a Labour Whalley Range councillor, arrived in the city from Greece as a 16-year-old student in 1995. She\u2019s put unity, service and decency at the heart of her campaign and bats off the idea she may not win because Burnham was blocked.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re getting two for the price of one because Andy Burnham is still going to be our mayor, and he\u2019s doing great work at Greater Manchester level and they\u2019re also going to get me watching their backs and also looking after every part of this constituency, making sure that Labour delivers for everybody in this community,\u201d Stogia tells The i Paper.<\/p>\n Labour voters switch to Greens after Burnham blocked<\/p>\n At the Gorton Indoor Market, which fights for customers against an adjacent Tesco Extra, independent bakers sell burnt cobs \u2013 a local delicacy \u2013 and fresh barms while other traders ply vintage clothes, mobile phone accessories and fried chicken.<\/p>\n \u201cI still like Labour, but for this time, for the by-election, I\u2019ll go for Green<\/a> [Party of England and Wales], because I was hoping to have Andy Burnham for our candidate,\u201d says shopper Fatou Ceesay, 49, taking a break on a bench. She voted Labour at the general election and says her current choice is a direct message to Starmer.<\/p>\n Levenshulme resident Mike Slater, 44, would usually vote Labour but is switching to the Greens. \u201cI just feel that the mood against the Labour Party is not a great one at the minute. I think it\u2019s nationwide, but I also think people are quite cross with the fact that Andy Burnham wasn\u2019t allowed to go in for the MP.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, some are sticking with Labour nonetheless. \u201cI would have loved Andy Burnham to be the candidate but unfortunately his party has not allowed him, so I still vote for Labour, but he would have taken it on a landslide,\u201d says Henry Iyoha, 57, running a stall which sells mushy peas as well as marshmallows and Murray Mints.<\/p>\n The area encompasses over 76,000 potential voters, distributed throughout Denton on Tameside, and Gorton, Levenshulme and Burnage in Manchester. The Manchester wards are on average 42 per cent white and 40 per cent ethnic minorities with a high proportion of university students and graduates. Meanwhile, the Tameside wards are on average 83 per cent white and have higher levels of working-class voters or unemployed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a Frankenstein seat. It was only created at the last general election as part of the boundary changes, and it mashed together sections of three previous Manchester constituencies,\u201d according to Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a situation where Labour can claim based on electoral history and heritage, \u2018we are the dominant party here, we are the main party of the left\u2019, but the Greens can say, \u2018we\u2019re the rising force, if you are disappointed in the national Labour Government, you should vote for us\u2019. In those situations, it\u2019s not clear who the front-runner on the left is, and that raises the possibility of an even split which then would enable Reform<\/a> to come in through the middle,\u201d adds Ford.<\/p>\n Acer Mohammed is selling rugs at Gorton\u2019s indoor market. \u201cIt\u2019s all been Labour\u201d until now, he says, but this time he\u2019s voting for Reform. He\u2019s attracted by the party\u2019s plans to increase the income tax personal allowance<\/a> to \u00a320,000 a year from its current value of \u00a312,570.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m voting Reform to put more money in my pocket\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWhat pushes me as a person in real life to vote for Reform would be the monetary aspect. If I have more money in my pocket, that\u2019s my biggest concern,\u201d says Mohammed. The 46-year-old Muslim, who after several stints in prison now helps ex-offenders, says although he thinks Reform \u201ccould be deemed racist\u201d, successive Conservative and Labour governments have pursued anti-migration policies too.<\/p>\n Meanwhile Reform\u2019s campaign HQ is in a massive modern warehouse on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Denton. Two bouncers stop even friendly visitors getting close. Inside, Matthew Goodwin<\/a> is back from a round of leafleting, unwinding a blue scarf and sipping from a protein drink before sitting down with The i Paper in front of a massive poster of Nigel Farage<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m saying, \u2018Look, you don\u2019t actually have to agree with everything that Reform says, but what you do have to agree with me on is this area needs a very loud, strong champion in Westminster,\u2019\u201d Goodwin says. A former academic who used to research Britain\u2019s far right, he later became a right-wing commentator, writer and GB News host.<\/p>\n He is campaigning to lower energy bills and stop illegal migration alongside local issues such as antisocial behaviour in parks.<\/p>\n \u201cI think when this by-election started, there was a media narrative that went along the lines of \u2018Reform will do well in white working-class areas like Denton; Labour and the Greens will do well in more middle-class, progressive, diverse areas like Longsight and Levenshulme\u2019. That is not reflected in the reality on the ground. We have significant support.\u201d<\/p>\n The Greens are after Labour voters too, with leader Zack Polanski a regular presence on the campaign trail. In the window of the Greens\u2019 local HQ is a cardboard sign: \u201cMinistry of Plumbing and Plastering\u201d \u2013 a play on candidate Hannah Spencer\u2019s day job as a plumber and Trafford councillor.<\/p>\n Activists dressed mostly in green take a break from leafleting in the freezing weather. In the tiny kitchen detailed recycling instructions adorn the walls. Teabags jostle for space with a jar of dog biscuits for Spencer\u2019s four greyhounds. <\/p>\n Labour has called on the Greens to step aside to avoid splitting the left-leaning vote and allowing Reform to slip through. Asked if she would consider it, Spencer rolls her eyes.<\/p>\n \u2018How are the Labour Party left wing?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHow are the Labour Party left wing? I\u2019ve not seen any indication that they are. Maybe they once were, but certainly not now. And we can see that from how many Labour voters are coming towards us, but how many activists too. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible to say that we\u2019re splitting the vote, because that suggests that we\u2019re similar in any way, and we are worlds apart,\u201d she tells The i Paper.<\/p>\n There are certainly policy differences with Labour. Spencer indicates a willingness to discuss Britain\u2019s Nato membership and believes Class A drugs should be legalised for better regulation. Her pro-Gaza position helps with the large number of Muslim voters, some of whom are dissatisfied with Starmer\u2019s approach to the Israel-Hamas war.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s all kicking off on Facebook\u2019<\/p>\n Tensions are running high in Gorton and Denton. As British politics fractures, so do tempers. Many voters canvassed for their opinions by The i Paper either did not want to speak or declined to give a surname for fear of reprisals from their neighbours. \u201cIt\u2019s all kicking off on Facebook,\u201d says one resident who declined to be identified. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be dragged in.\u201d<\/p>\n A local bistro where Goodwin had a meeting had to publicly state it wasn\u2019t supporting Reform after receiving threats. A young mother, taking her baby for a stroll, comments, \u201cIt\u2019s been quite charged\u201d. Others are simply disengaged: \u201cWhat election?\u201d is a frequent response to questions.<\/p>\n Greens\u2019 Spencer has had to be accompanied by security in the constituency after an incident where a \u201cvery, very angry\u201d man shouted abuse, while Reform\u2019s Goodwin arrived at a hustings with guards in tow. The candidates are all fed up with online and in-person attacks on their campaigns. \u201cThere\u2019s been an enormous amount of misinformation during this campaign. I\u2019ll go further actually, there\u2019s just been a lot of lies,\u201d says Goodwin.<\/p>\n Labour\u2019s Stogia is softly spoken. But when she clarifies the correct pronunciation of her name, she replies: \u201cAngeliki is pronounced with a hard G like angry, and I am angry.\u201d Like the others, she is sick of the abuse and has deliberately made unity her campaign slogan. In Manchester, she says, \u201cwe get on, and this divisive rhetoric is poisonous for the city, and this is why people feel so passionately about it\u201d.<\/p>\n The eyes of the world are on the constituency; Swiss TV channels are vying with The New Yorker magazine for time with the candidates.<\/p>\n Best example yet of UK electorate\u2019s fragmentation <\/p>\n Reform and the Greens are optimistic about winning, but some believe Labour could keep the seat. That would spare blushes in No 10, where Starmer\u2019s leadership has been under question.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s bad for business to talk politics,\u201d says one shopkeeper who declines to be identified. \u201cBut 80 per cent of my takings are from people on benefits. You could put Donald Trump or Satan \u2013 whoever you think is worse \u2013 in charge of Labour and they\u2019d win here.\u201d<\/p>\n Voters in Gorton and Denton can choose from 11 candidates, ranging from the Monster Raving Loonies and the Conservatives to the Communist League. What\u2019s notable is not Labour\u2019s loss of voters, which is common for governing parties in midterms.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen so many candidates as I have for this election. It\u2019s crazy,\u201d says Teresa Wightman, 71, a retired mental health nurse. \u201cEvery day when I\u2019ve been up in Denton there\u2019s been an awful lot of people around knocking on doors.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, this seat is the best example yet of the fragmentation of the British electoral system, where the first past the post system is buckling under a wider range of parties. A split vote could throw up a surprise winner on Friday morning and provide the blueprint for future contests. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The i Paper visits Gorton and Denton with days to go before voters cast their ballots It\u2019s the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":437173,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[19306,59,159284,57,58,420,2053,50,14354,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-437172","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-andy-burnham","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-gorton-and-denton-by-election","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-greatbritain","13":"tag-keir-starmer","14":"tag-labour-party","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-politics-long-read","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom","19":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=437172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/437173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=437172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=437172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=437172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Labour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_285821715.jpg\")
The Labour Party candidate for Gorton and Denton, Angeliki Stogia. She is sick of the abuse against politicians and has deliberately made unity her campaign slogan<\/p>\n![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_284684394.jpg\")
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was blocked from contesting the by-election but is still campaigning for the Labour candidate (Photo: Peter Byrne\/PA)<\/p>\n![\"DENTON,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_282893086.jpg\")
The Gorton and Denton constituency comprises more than 76,000 potential voters (Photo: Christopher Furlong\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Reform](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_285821699.jpg\")
Reform party candidate, Matt Goodwin, has been a right-wing commentator, writer and GB News host<\/p>\n![\"Reform](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283654043.jpg\")
Nigel Farage with the party\u2019s candidate in Gorton and Denton (Photo: Danny Lawson\/PA)<\/p>\n![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_285821714.jpg\")
Green candidate Hannah Spencer, who is also a local councillor and a plumber <\/p>\n![\"DENTON,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283906889.jpg\")
Spencer with party leader, Zack Polanski (Photo: Christopher Furlong\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_282898464.jpg\")
People shop at Longsight market. This part of the constituency has a sizeable ethnic minority population (Photo: Temilade Adelaja\/Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"MANCHESTER,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_284532515_43bf28.jpg\")
A Labour poster in Longsight, where voters may decide to switch support following several party scandals (Photo: Christopher Furlong\/Getty)<\/p>\n