Overview
- Hannah Spencer won the Gorton and Denton by-election for the Greens with 14,980 votes and a 4,402 majority, marking the party’s first Westminster by-election victory as Reform UK finished second and Labour third after a steep vote-share drop.
- Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell said Andy Burnham probably would have held the seat and confirmed the party’s NEC blocked him from running, while Keir Starmer called the result disappointing but said he would continue.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected next week to introduce legislation to toughen asylum and immigration rules, with allies saying the move is intended to counter Reform UK’s appeal.
- Reform UK says it has reported alleged cheating to the Electoral Commission, and election observers Democracy Volunteers cited widespread ‘family voting,’ though they did not identify who was involved.
- Analysts describe a tightening multi‑party squeeze on Labour and the Conservatives, with new Opinium polling showing Starmer’s approval at a new low and significant numbers of Labour voters open to backing the Greens ahead of May’s local and devolved contests.