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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Shabana Mahmood vows to stick with hardline migration policies after byelection defeat

Home secretary will defy ‘plain wrong’ calls from unions and leftwing MPs that she is alienating Muslim voters Shabana Mahmood will press on with hardline immigration policies despite calls for a reversal from unions and left-leaning Labour MPs after the Green party’s byelection victory. Senior Labour sources insisted that the home secretary would continue to roll out changes to asylum policy, dismissing as “plain wrong” claims that it would further alienate Muslim voters. Continue reading...

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Green party’s Gorton and Denton win is wake-up call Labour needed to hear

Labour billed it as ‘two-horse race’ with Reform UK, but Greens’ media campaign, and Hannah Spencer’s authenticity, won the day From the outset of the Gorton and Denton byelection, Labour strategists were desperate to say the party was on course to win, but the party’s trouncing at the hands of the Greens has made this look laughable in hindsight. Hollie Ridley, Labour’s general secretary, sent a note to No 10 at the end of January saying it was “clearly a two-horse race” with Reform UK, and onl

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

The Guardian view on Gorton and Denton: a warning shot across Labour’s bows | Editorial

Hannah Spencer’s win was more than protest. It signalled that Labour’s moral language and coalition are up for grabs in its safest terrain The Greens have every reason to celebrate their victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection. From a standing start in a Manchester constituency, Zack Polanski’s team tripled his party’s vote to capture a seat that had effectively voted Labour in every election but one since 1906 – the year Labour was born. Labour coming third behind Reform UK is not routine m

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Labour MPs demand Starmer change direction after humiliating byelection loss

The Green candidate, Hannah Spencer, overturned a 13,000 Labour majority to win the Gorton and Denton seat Keir Starmer is facing an ultimatum from his own party to change direction or see a leadership challenge within months after the Greens humiliated Labour with a historic byelection victory in Gorton and Denton. Overturning a 13,000 Labour majority from the general election, Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green councillor, became the party’s fifth MP on Friday. Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Martin Rowson on the Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton – cartoon

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Greens win Gorton and Denton: is this a turning point for UK politics? – The Latest

The Green Party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gordon and Denton byelection in a major blow to Keir Starmer. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber, was elected as the party’s first MP in northern England, with Labour pushed into third place behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK despite having a 13,000-vote majority. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s north of England correspondent Hannah Al-Othman, who lives in the constituency and was at the count overnight – watch on YouTube Continue reading..

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Rachel Reeves ‘to give go-ahead’ for £1bn military helicopter deal

Report says chancellor to sign contract with Italy’s Leonardo, saving 3,000 manufacturing jobs at Yeovil factory Rachel Reeves is to approve a £1bn deal to build military helicopters in Yeovil, saving about 3,000 manufacturing jobs, according to reports. The chancellor is expected to sign a contract with Leonardo – the Italian owner of the former Westland factory in Yeovil, Somerset – to build the new battlefield helicopters, after months of speculation as to whether the historical site would su

Defence
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Labour leadership truce holds for now but clock is ticking for Starmer

Countdown to May has begun and dejected Labour MPs want to see in that time that PM is capable of change When Labour’s Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar, urged Keir Starmer to stand down two weeks ago, Starmer’s closest advisers presented him a choice: fight, flight or hand over his destiny to his party by calling a leadership contest. The prime minister chose the first option and his Downing Street team sprung into action to contain the threat. At the moment of greatest peril for Starmer, MPs peered

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

No more safe seats: the Greens take Gorton and Denton – podcast

In a stunning setback for Labour, the Green party has decisively won the Gorton and Denton byelection, with Reform UK finishing second. Does this result signal the end of Labour’s safe seats? And could it mark the beginning of the end for Keir Starmer? John Harris, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey unpack the fallout – and explore what might happen next Continue reading...

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Spencer’s victory speech an object lesson in grace while Reform’s man rages | John Crace

Matt Goodwin claimed cheating, Labour’s Gorton candidate quickly fled, Keir was tin-eared and Kemi brought the comedy It could have been a flash of arrogance. Hubris for the ages. On Thursday morning, at a time when most pundits were still calling the Gorton and Denton byelection a three-way fight that was impossible to call, the Green party sent out a note to journalists. Come along to the first press conference of Hannah Spencer MP tomorrow. And while you’re about it, stay on to join her for h

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Welsh elections a choice between culture or ignorance, Plaid leader says

Rhun ap Iorwerth tells party conference Labour and Tories ‘slipping away’ and Reform UK is main threat The leader of Plaid Cymru has claimed the Welsh parliament elections in May will be a straight fight between his party and Reform UK, which he billed as a choice between “culture or ignorance, humanity or indifference”. Speaking at the party’s biggest ever conference, Rhun ap Iorwerth, the clear favourite to be the next Welsh first minister, said the Gorton and Denton byelection showed Labour a

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The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Reform and Tories report ‘family voting’ allegations to watchdog

Nigel Farage says his party was victim of ‘cheating’ in Gorton and Denton byelection, although Manchester council says no issues were reported Reform UK and the Conservatives have asked the elections watchdog to investigate allegations of corrupt voting in the Gorton and Denton byelection as Nigel Farage claimed there had been “cheating”, despite limited evidence of wrongdoing. The reports to the Electoral Commission come after an election observers group, Democracy Volunteers, said they had wit

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