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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Green party wins Gorton and Denton byelection in blow to Keir Starmer

Hannah Spencer elected as party’s first MP in northern England, with Labour coming in third behind reform UK The Green party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection in a significant blow to Keir Starmer. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, was elected as the party’s first MP in northern England after overturning Labour’s 13,000-vote majority. Continue reading...

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Counting underway in Gorton and Denton amid high turnout for crucial byelection – UK politics live

Turnout in Gorton and Denton byelection over 47%, with 36,903 verified votes cast as Greens, Reform and Labour contest the seat Labour sources have told the Press Association: “Early signs at the count indicate the Greens have been able to turn out support in a way they wouldn’t be able to replicate at a general election.” Prof Will Jennings, of the University of Southampton, earlier said the contest was too close to call and that in Britain’s new fragmented politics “anything can happen”. He sa

PoliticsEducationEnvironment
The Guardian Politics26 Feb 2026

Calls to move England’s home insulation scheme into council workers’ hands

Thinktank proposes councils stop using private contractors in attempt to improve quality and spending Councils should train up their own workers to install insulation in England’s draughty houses, and offer home upgrades street by street, beginning in the most deprived areas, according to proposals for cutting energy bills. Setting up “home improvement corporations” would allow greater control by councils over low-carbon retrofits for housing, and would be a more efficient way of spending limite

EnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics26 Feb 2026

Labour must search its conscience if Reform wins Gorton and Denton, says Green leader

Zack Polanski says Labour deliberately splitting left vote as voters head to the polls The polls have opened in the three-way battle for Gorton and Denton in south-east Manchester in one of the most unpredictable byelections in years. The Green party leader Zack Polanski said his party was “neck and neck” with Reform UK to overturn Labour’s 13,000-vote majority, and that Labour will need to “search their conscience” if Reform UK wins.Keir Starmer’s party has targeted left-leaning voters in the G

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics26 Feb 2026

What a Gorton byelection win would mean for Reform, Greens and Labour

Polls put seat in three-way dead heat with Labour facing threats from Reform and Green party in once safe seat The Gorton and Denton byelection is the biggest electoral test yet for Keir Starmer before what are expected to be disastrous results for Labour in the May local elections. Polls put the race in a three-way dead heat, making it nearly impossible to call. The vote is particularly symbolic because of the threat Labour faces from Reform UK and the Green party in a once safe seat. Should La

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics25 Feb 2026

Foreign Office denies minister’s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been paused – UK politics live

Minister told MPs the deal had been been paused, but that was immediately denied by the Foreign Office The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published figures showing that local authorities in England dealt with 1.26m flytipping incidents in 2024/25 – 9% increase on the previous year. And there was an 11% increase in incidents involving a “tipper lorry load” amount of rubbish. There were 52,000 of these, up from 47,000 in 2023/24. Defra said these alone cost councils £19.3m.

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The Guardian Politics25 Feb 2026

How is Reform’s charmless candidate still a contender in Gorton and Denton? Ask Labour | George Monbiot

This byelection should have been a stroll for Keir Starmer’s party. Instead, all hope of defeating Matt Goodwin now seems to lie with the Greens Every barb Labour has directed at the Greens can now be returned with interest. “It’s a wasted vote.” “Do you want to see Reform in power?” New polling ahead of the crucial Gorton and Denton byelection this week, while by no means decisive, puts the Greens first on 22%, followed by Reform UK (20%), then Labour (18%), with 31% undecided. But still Keir S

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics24 Feb 2026

Do the British left’s hopes lie with the Greens, Labour or even Your Party? The answer could be all three | Joe Todd

No single organisation can deliver the change that socialists want. As Nigel Farage has shown, politics has to be ruthlessly tactical For the long-marginalised British left, parliamentary byelections aren’t usually cause for much excitement. But Gorton and Denton is different. Polls, bookmakers and tactical-voting websites name the Greens as the close-run favourites, and thousands of activists have been knocking on doors for “Hannah the plumber”, a popular local councillor and proud owner of fou

PoliticsEnvironmentReformHousing
The Guardian Politics24 Feb 2026

I have seen the scale of the mountain Labour has to climb in Gorton and Denton – but also the way it can do it | Polly Toynbee

In focus groups, people are clear they want to stop Farage at all costs. Labour must now reach out to the progressives it has disappointed The great gulf between left and right yawns deeper and wider. One way or another, the Gorton and Denton byelection this week will reveal this profound tribal divide. Those in the progressive bloc – Labour, Lib Dem, Green, SNP, Plaid – are very different kinds of people to the blues, with diametrically opposed attitudes. In more centrist days there was some sh

PoliticsEnvironmentReformHousing