All posts tagged: byelection

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Conservatives have gained a seat from Reform UK in a council by-election in the latest sign of a bounce for Kemi Badenoch’s party. The Tories took the Cramlington South West ward on Northumberland County Council with 34.2% of the vote, up nine points. Reform was down 13 points to second place with 26.1% of the vote share. The Liberal Democrats came third with 23%, while the Greens were fourth on 14.3%. It comes as the Tory fightback is underway following their 2024 general election defeat. The research found that 22% of voters backed the Conservatives, up 3% from the previous poll. Meanwhile, Reform’s lead had narrowed with Nigel Farage’s party on 25%, down 5% from the week before. Labour was third on 21%, while Zack Polanski’s Greens were fourth on 13% and the Lib Dems were on 12%. It comes ahead of next month’s local elections where Reform is expected to make major gains, while Labour is facing a drubbing. Source link

Politics Home | Andy Burnham Says Labour’s By-Election Defeat Shows “Chasm” Between Westminster And Voters

Politics Home | Andy Burnham Says Labour’s By-Election Defeat Shows “Chasm” Between Westminster And Voters

Published by Sam Flores

(Alamy) 3 min read1 hr Andy Burnham has said that Labour’s historic defeat at the Gorton and Denton by-election demonstrated the “chasm” between Westminster and the public. In his first public intervention since Labour lost the Greater Manchester contest to the Greens last week, Burnham said the result ought to be a “code red for Westminster politics”. Labour had controlled the constituency for over 100 years before falling to third place behind the Greens and Reform UK last week.  Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, wanted to be Labour’s candidate and was widely seen as the party’s most likely chance of keeping hold of the seat, but was blocked by senior Labour officials, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer.  As well as being a bruising result for Labour, it was another blow to Westminster’s historic, two-party system, with neither of the top two parties being Labour or the Conservatives. Speaking at an event in London hosted by the Centre for Cities think tank on Wednesday, Burnham said: “What I want to say today is that the time has most definitely come …

Politics Home Article | Labour Deputy Leader Opposed By-Election Attack On Green Drug Policy

Politics Home Article | Labour Deputy Leader Opposed By-Election Attack On Green Drug Policy

Published by Sam Flores

4 min read1 hr Lucy Powell was among the Labour figures privately concerned about attacking the Greens’ drug policy during the Gorton and Denton by-election campaign, PoliticsHome understands. Powell, who succeeded Angela Rayner as Labour’s deputy leader last year, played a key role in the party’s campaign in Greater Manchester. She herself is an MP in the region. However, several sources have told PoliticsHome that she expressed concern about particular attacks used by Labour against Zack Polanski’s party late in the campaign, which focused on Green positions on drug legalisation and prostitution. A Labour spokesperson declined to comment on internal campaign discussions. Many Labour MPs, including ministers, have complained that the party’s unsuccessful campaign in Greater Manchester was misjudged, focused too much on criticising the Greens rather than setting out a positive case for what the government had achieved in office. One minister told PoliticsHome that the lesson from the by-election defeat to the Greens was that Labour “can’t be negative” if it wants to win back progressive voters. Cat Eccles, the Labour MP for Stourbridge, last week told PoliticsHome: …

what the Gorton and Denton byelection taught us about voters

what the Gorton and Denton byelection taught us about voters

Published by Sam Flores

Hannah Spencer’s win in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary byelection was a momentous victory for the Green party. The party’s first-ever byelection win overturned a large Labour majority and put the general election winners into third place, behind Reform UK. The Greens are eager to position it as a sign of things to come, particularly in the May elections. Here’s what voter trends in Gorton and Denton can tell us about what’s to come. Voters continue to turn away from the two main parties Voters are looking for alternatives to the two main parties. Labour’s vote share halved in Gorton and Denton compared to the general election. With a much smaller 2024 base to start from, the Conservatives went from nearly 8% of votes to fewer than 2%, losing their deposit. This follows a trend we’re seeing at almost every election, regardless of type or location. In the 2025 local elections, fewer than 40% of incumbents from the two main parties held their seats – a figure that had previously never been below 70%. In …

Reform UK unveils proposals for electoral reform after by-election result

Reform UK unveils proposals for electoral reform after by-election result

Published by Sam Flores

Reform UK has unveiled proposals for electoral reform, including a significant restriction on postal voting and the removal of voting rights for Commonwealth citizens. Nigel Farage, outlining the party’s plans in the Sunday Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, asserted that postal voting has turned the UK’s elections into a “laughing stock” and that allowing non-British citizens to vote is “absurd”. Under Reform UK’s proposals, postal voting would be severely limited to the elderly, disabled, serving armed forces personnel, and those working overseas during an election. This contrasts with the current system, which allows any eligible voter to cast their ballot by post. Furthermore, the party aims to strip Commonwealth citizens of their right to participate in UK elections. Currently, Commonwealth citizens who qualify as residents can vote in all types of UK elections, a provision Reform UK seeks to abolish. A spokesperson for Reform UK confirmed the changes would not affect Irish citizens, who also have the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The policy was born out of Mr Farage’s belief that allowing …

Politics Home Article | How The Greens Won The Gorton And Denton By-Election

Politics Home Article | How The Greens Won The Gorton And Denton By-Election

Published by Sam Flores

Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer celebrates with party leader Zack Polanski after winning the Gorton and Denton by-election, February 2026 (AP Photo / Jon Super / Alamy Live News) 5 min read2 hr The Green Party’s historic by-election victory in Gorton and Denton sent shockwaves across British politics. Campaign insiders tell PoliticsHome how they pulled it off The Labour Party had represented the Manchester Gorton area in Parliament since the days of Ramsay MacDonald. Today, Keir Starmer’s party is reeling after its vote collapsed in the Gorton and Denton by-election, forcing the party into third place behind the Greens and Reform UK. A by-election defeat of this kind – falling into third place in a Labour-held seat – has not happened since 1982. Green candidate Hannah Spencer, who won around 40 per cent of the vote, has clearly demonstrated the threat that Zack Polanski’s “eco-populist” party poses to Labour’s left flank. Green insiders believe the party’s victory in Gorton and Denton came down to three crucial factors. Burnham’s blocking The first was the decision by Labour’s National Executive Committee …

Greens’ stunning by-election win proves Polanski surge is real – but what now for Starmer? | Politics News

Greens’ stunning by-election win proves Polanski surge is real – but what now for Starmer? | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

At the wedding venue in Gorton and Denton the Green Party chose for the news conference to mark a seismic by-election victory on national television, it was clear that Zack Polanski and his team were new to all of this. There was a sea of empty chairs and but a smattering of supporters in a huge, near-deserted room. Seasoned operators – be it Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer or Ed Davey – would have had the placards lifted and the activists cheering, but Polanski and his new MP, Hannah Spencer, enjoyed just a smattering of applause as they took to the stage. Politics latest: Police confirm report made over ‘family voting’ claims Image: Zack Polanski and Hannah Spencer. Pic: PA But, make no mistake, if the celebration was muted in the moment, the implications of the result are absolutely mega. The Green Party went from third in this seat at the 2024 General Election to winning by 4,400 votes over Reform UK, and overturning Labour’s 13,000 majority with a whopping 26 percentage point swing. It …

Politics Home | Keir Starmer Says Greens Won By-Election Off Back Of George Galloway Endorsement

Politics Home | Keir Starmer Says Greens Won By-Election Off Back Of George Galloway Endorsement

Published by Sam Flores

(Alamy) 5 min read2 hr Keir Starmer has accused the Green Party of embracing “sectarian” politics and claimed that its historic victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election was driven by support from George Galloway. The Prime Minister said Zack Polanski’s party was no longer comprised of “harmless environmentalists” in a letter to all Labour MPs following their defeat in Greater Manchester. Labour is reeling after finishing third in a constituency it had controlled for over 100 years and where it won with an absolute majority at the 2024 general election. Green candidate Hannah Spencer won with 40 per cent of the vote, in the clearest sign yet of the threat posed to Labour’s left flank by Polanski’s “eco-populist” left-wing party. Reform UK candidate, former academic Matt Goodwin, came second. In a letter to Labour MPs on Friday, seen by PoliticsHome, the PM said: “We’ve seen the true colours of Zack Polanski’s Greens in this campaign. The Greens were able to capitalise on an endorsement from George Galloway to win over enough voters to push them over the line. “Their willingness to welcome Galloway’s divisive, …