Gorton & Denton By-Election: Candidates Confirmed, And They're Off!



The Gorton and Denton by-election (scheduled for Thursday, 26 February 2026) has officially moved from speculation to a high-stakes battleground. As of today, the final list of candidates has been confirmed.

The Confirmed Candidates (The 11-Way Fight)

The nominations closed yesterday, and 11 candidates are officially in the running:

  • Angeliki Stogia (Labour): A local councillor who now has the massive task of defending a 13,000-vote majority while her own party is fighting internally.

  • Matt Goodwin (Reform UK): The high-profile academic and GB News presenter. Reform is sensing blood in the water; some early polls suggest they are within striking distance of an upset. But can they do it with the Greens advancing rapidly?

  • Hannah Spencer (Green): A plumber and former mayoral candidate for Manchester. The Greens are framing this as a "Green vs. Reform" fight, hoping to capture the disillusioned left-wing vote.

  • The Rest: Includes the Liberal Democrats (Jackie Pearcey), the Conservatives (Charlotte Cadden), and the inevitable Sir Oink A-Lot for the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Amidst all this, the biggest news still remains the fallout from the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) blocking Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, from standing. Burnham wanted a route back to Westminster, but the party leadership effectively shut the door, apparently to prevent a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer. This has sparked a massive internal rift.About 50 Labour MPs signed a letter of protest, and local party members feel sidelined, with some claiming the leadership is "handing the seat to Reform UK" by ignoring local preference.

Labour is currently caught in a political trap, as they are losing ground to Reform on the right and the Greens on the left.  If Labour loses, or even sees their majority slashed to triple digits, it will be seen as a "Referendum on Starmer." No doubt there would be lots of blame from members, especially those who believe Burnham would have won the seat.

  • The "Muslim Vote" Factor: Pressure groups like The Muslim Vote have endorsed the Green candidate, which could significantly impact Labour’s traditional support in the Manchester wards of the constituency.

The Gorton by-election is no longer about Manchester. It’s about a system in meltdown. Labour blocked the popular Mayor (Burnham) to protect the leadership, and now they’re facing a three-way civil war between the Greens, Reform, and their own activists. However, when the leaders of a party worry more about internal power than the voters, it's a sure bet that the voters will start looking for a new base. 

Could February 26th spell real trouble for Labour?


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