Greens select former mayoral candidate to run in Gorton and Denton byelection | Green party
The Green party has chosen former mayoral candidate Hannah Spencer to run in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection.
Spencer, a Trafford councilor and plumber, is a former resident of the constituency and is the Green candidate for mayor of Manchester in the 2024 election, where he finished fifth behind Labour’s Andy Burnham, who retained the post, as well as Conservative, independent and Reform candidates.
His candidacy was officially announced in Longsight on Friday and the decision was made democratically by local party members in online votes the night before. Spencer is understood to have won a large majority of the vote, beating off competition from Fesl Reza-Khan, who previously represented the seat of Oldham East and Saddleworth in the 2024 general election and finished sixth, and Sarah Wakefield, a local campaigner and former general secretary of the University of Manchester students’ union.
The party’s deputy co-chairman and Leeds city councilor Mothin Ali was also expected to stand, but is understood to have decided against it; It was suggested that party leader Zack Polanski, who hails from Greater Manchester, would also run for the constituency, but he ruled himself out, hoping instead to run for a future parliamentary seat in London, where he lives.
If Spencer wins the by-election, he will become the Greens’ fifth MP and the first from the north. At 34, he would also be their youngest MP.
Following the announcement, Spencer said: “This is a very important by-election. The choice is clear: Greens versus Reform. Hopes versus hate. Only the Greens can stop Reform in this by-election. I want to thank every member and supporter who is already listening to voters on the doorstep.”
Polanski said: “Hannah Spencer will be a fantastic MP for the people of Gorton and Denton. I’m a Mancunian and I understand when someone really wants to roll up their sleeves and work for the community. Hannah is that person.”
With this announcement, the Greens become the second party to announce their candidate for the constituency, after Reform UK announced conservative commentator and former academic Matt Goodwin as their choice on 27 January. Labor will announce its candidate on Saturday and blocking Burnham’s candidacy is seen by many as giving the Greens and Reform a lead.
Polanski described the contest as “a battle for the soul of our nation”, telling the Guardian after a rally on Tuesday that “even if it had been Andy Burnham running, I think we would still have won”.
Labor are mounting a major campaign to present themselves as the only credible left-wing option to Reform, arguing that the Greens’ lack of a local base means they lack the experience of winning the seat. “The Greens have no councilors and no data, so that will make a big difference,” a Labor source said. “They have a good social media game, but no ground game.”
Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester, is heavily involved in the campaign and a number of cabinet ministers are already knocking on doors. Burnham is expected to join the campaign after the candidate is announced at an event led by Powell and party chair Anna Turley.
“Reform’s decision to elect Matt Goodwin has really galvanized our activists,” a Labor source said. “While the National Labor brand has its issues, the Manchester Labor brand is very strong. We’re throwing the kitchen sink at this and it’s totally winnable.”
Polanski officially launched the party’s campaign that night with guest speakers including former party leader Natalie Bennett and Your Party member and campaigner Salma Yaqoob. Polanski played down rumors of an alliance between the Greens and Your Party.
The Greens received the first support of the campaign when the pressure group Muslim Votes supported the party in order to protest the attitude of other parties towards the Gaza war. The Greens hope this will help attract Muslim voters, who make up around 30% of the constituency’s population, to their cause.
Despite this public support, some people close to the campaign made suggestions that the endorsement was made on the assumption that either Ali or Reza-Khan, both Muslims, would secure the nomination; but the same sources say the endorsement is unlikely to be withdrawn as a result of Spencer’s win.
The seat became available following the resignation of Andrew Gwynne due to health issues.
