THE Greens have won the make-or-break Gorton and Denton by-election in a catastrophic blow for Sir Keir Starmer.
The PM now faces huge pressure from his backbenchers after Labour’s candidate languished in THIRD place behind Reform.
Despite being the 39th safest red seat, Green candidate Hannah Spencer secured victory with 40.7 per cent of the vote.
Reform’s Matt Goodwin earned 28.7 per cent while Labour’s Angeliki Stogia halved the 2024 election vote to 9,364.
Turnout in the by-election was 47.62 per cent.
The result will catapult criticism from left-wing Labour MPs that the party isn’t doing enough to attract Muslim and progressive Brits.
It will embolden the party’s leftie flank who have spent months accusing the PM of being too hardline on immigration and chasing Reform voters instead of focusing on ethnic minorities.
Breaking with the usual party line, Deputy Leader Lucy Powell conceded: “On the day, the Greens have won the argument more strongly than we have about keeping out Reform.”
The by-election also points to a meteoric rise in sectarian voting.
After his loss Mr Goodwin warned that “we are losing our country”.
He said: “A dangerous Muslim sectarianism has emerged. We have only one general election left to save Britain.
“What you saw was a coalition of Islamists and woke progressives that came together to dominate the constituency.”
After the contest was rocked by claims of illegal “family voting”, where two people either confer, collude or direct each other on how to cast a ballot, Nigel Farage blasted: “This election was a victory for sectarian voting and cheating.”
In her victory speech, Ms Spencer said: “Life has changed. Instead of working for a nice life… we’re working to line the pockets of billionaires.
“We are being bled dry.”
The by-election was triggered when former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne quit, having won the seat by 13,000 votes at the 2024 general election.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham — a challenger to Sir Keir — tried to stand in the constituency but was blocked by Labour’s ruling executive committee.
MPs have already started firing off criticisms at the decision, insisting they could’ve won if Mr Burnham stood.
Gorton and Denton drew attention as a microcosm of Britain and the direction voter demographics are heading in.
The constituency was dubbed a “tale of two towns”, with one area largely white and working class, and the other far more ethnically diverse.
More than a quarter of potential voters are Muslim, with almost a fifth believed to have roots in Pakistan.
Keen to harvest votes from the Muslim population, the Green Party put out election videos and leaflets in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan.
Campaign leaflets carried a photo of Ms Spencer wearing a red and black keffiyeh — a scarf worn by supporters of Palestine — while posing in front of a mosque.
Written in English, the material includes the words: “Stop Islamophobia. Stop Reform.” And, in Urdu, the leaflet states: “Labour must be punished for Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Reform centred its campaign on a call to “get Starmer out”.
Labour accused both sides of trying to stoke division, pitching itself as the party of unity.
Its campaign leaned heavily on Ms Stogia’s local ties, after more than a decade serving as a councillor.
