Overview
- Official results show Green candidate Hannah Spencer winning about 14,980 votes (≈40.7%), with Reform UK on ≈28.7% and Labour on ≈25.4%.
- Labour lost a seat it had held for nearly a century, as Reform UK took second place and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats polled in the low single digits.
- Spencer’s win gives the Greens five MPs and reflects targeted outreach—including Urdu and Punjabi materials—and strong backing from Muslim voters drawn to the party’s pro‑Palestinian stance.
- Election observers alleged family-directed voting in some polling stations, but local officials reported no recorded breaches, and police made two arrests after a separate mosque incident involving weapons on polling day.
- The result intensifies pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, highlights Reform UK’s growing presence, and reframes national narratives heading into May’s local and regional contests.