2026 Gorton and Denton by-election: Difference between revisions

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== Candidates ==

== Candidates ==

=== Labour Party ===

=== Labour Party ===

==== Andy Burnham’s Candidacy Bid ====

Following media and public speculation, [[Andy Burnham]], the incumbent [[mayor of Greater Manchester]] and former MP for [[Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)|Leigh]], requested approval to stand as Labour’s candidate on 24 January.<ref name=”:12″>{{Cite news |last=Taylor|first=Harry|date=24 January 2026|title=Andy Burnham applies to stand for Labour in Gorton and Denton byelection|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/24/andy-burnham-applies-to-stand-for-labour-in-gorton-and-denton-byelection|access-date=24 January 2026|work=The Guardian|language=en-GB}}</ref> As a sitting [[Metro-mayor|Combined Authority Mayor]], the party’s rules required him to seek the approval of the party’s [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party (UK)|National Executive Committee]] (NEC) before putting himself forward for selection as a parliamentary candidate. The NEC met on 25 January and voted 8–1 against Burnham’s candidacy.<ref name=”:1″ /> In the vote, NEC Chair and [[Home Secretary|home secretary]] [[Shabana Mahmood]] abstained, Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] voted against, and deputy Labour leader [[Lucy Powell]] voted for allowing Burnham to stand.<ref name=”:1″ /> Burnham expressed his disappointment and concern about the impact of the ruling for Labour in the [[2026 United Kingdom local elections]], the [[2026 Scottish Parliament election]] and [[2026 Senedd election]].<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2026 |title=Andy Burnham ‘disappointed’ after bid to become MP blocked |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czr4e7ep468o |access-date=25 January 2026 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB |last=Nevett |first=Joshua |last2=Mason |first2=Chris}}</ref> After the decision to block Burnham from standing as a Labour candidate, 50 Labour MPs signed a letter objecting to the NEC’s decision. Their identity is not publicly known, but ”[[BBC News]]” reported that the identities are known to the Labour Party leadership, and that the signatories included half a dozen Labour peers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Richard |last2=Seddon |first2=Paul |date=27 January 2026 |title=Fifty Labour MPs sign letter objecting to Andy Burnham decision |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3e53e34klo |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Following media and public speculation, [[Andy Burnham]], the incumbent [[mayor of Greater Manchester]] and former MP for [[Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)|Leigh]], requested approval to stand as Labour’s candidate on 24 January.<ref name=”:12″>{{Cite news |last=Taylor|first=Harry|date=24 January 2026|title=Andy Burnham applies to stand for Labour in Gorton and Denton byelection|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/24/andy-burnham-applies-to-stand-for-labour-in-gorton-and-denton-byelection|access-date=24 January 2026|work=The Guardian|language=en-GB}}</ref> As a sitting [[Metro-mayor|Combined Authority Mayor]], the party’s rules required him to seek the approval of the party’s [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party (UK)|National Executive Committee]] (NEC) before putting himself forward for selection as a parliamentary candidate. The NEC met on 25 January and voted 8–1 against Burnham’s candidacy.<ref name=”:1″ /> In the vote, NEC Chair and [[Home Secretary|home secretary]] [[Shabana Mahmood]] abstained, Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] voted against, and deputy Labour leader [[Lucy Powell]] voted for allowing Burnham to stand.<ref name=”:1″ /> Burnham expressed his disappointment and concern about the impact of the ruling for Labour in the [[2026 United Kingdom local elections]], the [[2026 Scottish Parliament election]] and [[2026 Senedd election]].<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite news |date=25 January 2026 |title=Andy Burnham ‘disappointed’ after bid to become MP blocked |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czr4e7ep468o |access-date=25 January 2026 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB |last=Nevett |first=Joshua |last2=Mason |first2=Chris}}</ref> After the decision to block Burnham from standing as a Labour candidate, 50 Labour MPs signed a letter objecting to the NEC’s decision. Their identity is not publicly known, but ”[[BBC News]]” reported that the identities are known to the Labour Party leadership, and that the signatories included half a dozen Labour peers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Richard |last2=Seddon |first2=Paul |date=27 January 2026 |title=Fifty Labour MPs sign letter objecting to Andy Burnham decision |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3e53e34klo |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

UK parliamentary by-election

2026 Gorton and Denton by-election

Boundary of Gorton and Denton in North West England

A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Gorton and Denton will be held on Thursday, 26 February 2026.[1] It was triggered by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne, who was sitting as an independent following his suspension from the Labour Party in February 2025.[2] Gwynne said his resignation was due to ‘significant ill health’, and advice from his doctor that it was unsafe for him to return to work. [2] He was appointed Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead[b] the following day.[3]

It will be the second parliamentary by-election during Keir Starmer‘s tenure as prime minister, after the Runcorn and Helsby by-election of 1 May 2025.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, applied to be the Labour Party candidate, but his candidacy was blocked by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).[4]

Background

Gorton and Denton is a predominantly urban constituency in Greater Manchester, containing electoral wards of both the City of Manchester and the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside.[5] It contains such areas as Burnage, Denton, Gorton, Levenshulme and Longsight.[6] Muslims account for some 28% of the constituency’s population.[7]

Andrew Gwynne was first elected as the Labour MP for the constituency of Denton and Reddish in the 2005 general election, and was re-elected to the seat for the four following parliaments. Denton and Reddish was abolished in the 2023 Periodic Review.[8][9] In the 2024 general election, Gwynne won the new constituency of Gorton and Denton with 50.8% of the vote and a majority of 13,413.[10]

Gwynne served in the Starmer ministry as a health minister until February 2025, when he was dismissed from his ministerial role and suspended from the Labour Party as a result of comments he made in a private WhatsApp group.[11] Following his suspension, Gwynne sat as an independent MP in the House of Commons.[12]

Speculation began in mid-2025 that Gwynne would stand down on health grounds so that Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, could stand in his seat. In September 2025, Gwynne denied that he would stand down and rejected the idea.[13] There was also speculation that Burnham’s allies were drawing up a list of possible constituencies where he could run in a by-election, including Gwynne’s; at the time, Gwynne said he had no intention of standing down before the 2026 local elections in May.[14]

On 22 January 2026, Gwynne announced his resignation, citing ‘significant ill health’ and advice from his doctor that it was unsafe for him to return to work.[2] He was appointed Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead[c] the following day.[15]

Candidates

Labour Party

Following media and public speculation, Andy Burnham, the incumbent mayor of Greater Manchester and former MP for Leigh, requested approval to stand as Labour’s candidate on 24 January.[16] As a sitting Combined Authority Mayor, the party’s rules required him to seek the approval of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) before putting himself forward for selection as a parliamentary candidate. The NEC met on 25 January and voted 8–1 against Burnham’s candidacy.[4] In the vote, NEC Chair and home secretary Shabana Mahmood abstained, Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted against, and deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell voted for allowing Burnham to stand.[4] Burnham expressed his disappointment and concern about the impact of the ruling for Labour in the 2026 United Kingdom local elections, the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and 2026 Senedd election.[4] After the decision to block Burnham from standing as a Labour candidate, 50 Labour MPs signed a letter objecting to the NEC’s decision. Their identity is not publicly known, but BBC News reported that the identities are known to the Labour Party leadership, and that the signatories included half a dozen Labour peers.[17]

The by-election had been framed by the media as a route for Burnham to return to Westminster and potentially challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.[18][19] Labour figures were reported to be concerned that Burnham’s candidacy would trigger a by-election for the position of mayor, which would be expensive and politically risky for the party: MP Graham Stringer expressed his reluctance to let Reform UK “have a go” at winning the mayoralty.[18] Burnham’s application to stand in the by-election was supported by some senior Labour figures, including former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Powell, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.[20][21] Labour sources also stated concerns to the BBC about the prospect of a “divisive campaign”.[4] Andrea Egan, the general secretary of the Unison trade union, warned against any potential “stitch-up” in Labour’s selection process.[22] Mainstream, a group associated with Burnham,[23] launched a petition to Mahmood calling for a “fair, democratic and open selection”. Momentum also expressed support for Burnham’s candidacy.[24]

Green Party

The Green Party candidate will be selected democratically by the local party and will be announced on 1 February,[25] with leader Zack Polanski ruling himself out despite earlier speculation.[26][27] Hannah Spencer, a Trafford councillor and plumber, who was the Green candidate in the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election, has been named as a likely candidate.[28]

Reform UK

Matt Goodwin, a conservative political commentator, right-wing activist,[29] presenter on GB News and a former professor at the University of Kent in Canterbury,[30] was announced as the Reform UK candidate at a press conference with chief whip Lee Anderson on 27 January.[31] Previously, there had been speculation over Zia Yusuf as a potential candidate.[32]

Workers Party

The Workers Party announced Shahbaz Sarwar, a local councillor, who represents Longsight ward on Manchester City Council, [33] as their candidate, [28] after the party’s leader George Galloway previously said he would stand if Burnham was chosen as the Labour candidate. [34]

Campaign

Reform Campaign

Reform UK’s only councillor on Tameside Council, Allan Hopwood, said the party had been planning for a by-election for months.[35]

Green Campaign

The Green Party have described the by-election as a “Reform–Green battle”, and had begun canvassing in the seat by 25 January.[26] The pressure group The Muslim Vote endorsed the Greens ahead of a formal candidate announcement,[36] and PoliticsHome reported that Your Party is discussing endorsing the Greens.[37] Zack Polanski launched their campaign on 27 January.[38]

Previous result

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ Stacey, Kiran; Walker, Peter (26 January 2026). “Starmer defends Labour decision to bar Burnham from byelection”. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Zeffman, Henry; Watson, Iain (22 January 2026). “MP stands down potentially paving way for Burnham’s return”. BBC News. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  3. ^ Taylor, Harry (24 January 2026). “Andy Burnham applies to stand for Labour in Gorton and Denton byelection”. The Guardian.
  4. ^ a b c d e Nevett, Joshua; Mason, Chris (25 January 2026). “Andy Burnham ‘disappointed’ after bid to become MP blocked”. BBC News. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  5. ^ “Andy Burnham plans to stand in Gorton & Denton by-election”. The Times. 24 January 2026. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  6. ^ “Location of Gorton and Denton (Constituency)”. MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  7. ^ Halliday, Josh (23 January 2026). “Can Andy Burnham calm the anger in a Manchester seat Labour fears losing?”. The Guardian.
  8. ^ “The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North West”. Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  9. ^ “Constituency Changes: Gorton and Denton”. Parallel Parliament. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. ^ “Gorton and Denton – General election results 2024”. BBC News. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  11. ^ “Andrew Gwynne sacked as health minister over comments posted on a WhatsApp group”. Sky News. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  12. ^ “Parliamentary career for Andrew Gwynne – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament”. members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  13. ^ Topping, Stephen (20 September 2025). “Andrew Gwynne breaks silence over rumours he would step aside for Andy Burnham”. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  14. ^ Halliday, Josh (14 December 2025). “Labour’s Andrew Gwynne says he has no plans to give up seat for Andy Burnham”. The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  15. ^ Taylor, Harry (24 January 2026). “Andy Burnham applies to stand for Labour in Gorton and Denton byelection”. The Guardian.
  16. ^ Taylor, Harry (24 January 2026). “Andy Burnham applies to stand for Labour in Gorton and Denton byelection”. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  17. ^ Wheeler, Richard; Seddon, Paul (27 January 2026). “Fifty Labour MPs sign letter objecting to Andy Burnham decision”. BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  18. ^ a b Nevett, Joshua (23 January 2026). “Andy Burnham faces decision on bid to return as MP”. BBC News. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  19. ^ Coates, Sam (23 January 2026). “Andy Burnham, next PM? The big hurdle facing popular mayor”. Sky News. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  20. ^ Devlin, Kate (24 January 2026). “Burnham says he plans to stand in by-election”. Independent. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  21. ^ Whannel, Kate (24 January 2026). “Andy Burnham seeks permission to stand in by-election”. BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  22. ^ Mason, Rowena (23 January 2026). “Union boss warns against Labour ‘control-freakery’ over Andy Burnham”. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  23. ^ Eaton, George (8 September 2025). “Andy Burnham gets a campaign machine”. The New Statesman. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  24. ^ Green, Daniel (24 January 2026). “Andy Burnham seeks permission to stand in Gorton and Denton by-election”. LabourList. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  25. ^ Kenyon, Megan (27 January 2026). “Who will be the Green Party candidate in Gorton and Denton?”. Archived from the original on 27 January 2026.
  26. ^ a b Kenyon, Megan (25 January 2026). “Zack Polanski will not stand in Gorton and Denton”. New Statesman. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  27. ^ Francis, Sam; Dawson, Bethany (23 January 2026). “Burnham down the house”. POLITICO. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  28. ^ a b Walker, Peter; Halliday, Josh (26 January 2026). “Greens launch major push for Gorton and Denton after Burnham blocked”. The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  29. ^ Stavrou, Athena (27 January 2026). “Matt Goodwin unveiled as Reform UK candidate for Gorton and Denton by-election”. The Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  30. ^ Williams, Tom (8 August 2024). “Matthew Goodwin ‘still an academic’ despite leaving Kent role”. Times Higher Education. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024.
  31. ^ “Academic Matt Goodwin unveiled as Reform UK’s by-election candidate”. BBC News. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  32. ^ Kenyon, Megan (25 January 2026). “Andy Burnham blocked from standing in Gorton and Denton”. New Statesman. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  33. ^ Mullen, Tom (27 January 2026). “Workers Party of Britain name Gorton and Denton by-election pick”. BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  34. ^ Mason, Rowena; Halliday, Josh; Topping, Alexandra (23 January 2026). “Starmer faces pressure not to block Andy Burnham’s return to parliament”. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  35. ^ Halliday, Josh (23 January 2026). “Can Andy Burnham calm the anger in a Manchester seat Labour fears losing?”. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  36. ^ Nanabawa, Abubakr (26 January 2026). “Gorton and Denton: It’s time to unite around the Greens to defeat Labour and Reform”. 5Pillars. Retrieved 27 January 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ “Greens Frame By-Election As Battle Against ‘Anti-Muslim Record’ Of Reform’s Matthew Goodwin”. Politics Home. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  38. ^ Kenyon, Megan (27 January 2026). “Who will be the Green Party candidate in Gorton and Denton?”. New Statesman. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  39. ^ “Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll for Gorton and Denton” (PDF). Manchester Council. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  40. ^ “Election 24: Gorton and Denton results”. BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  41. ^ “Election results – Parliamentary general election 2024”. manchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.

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