Greens Predict ‘Seismic’ Gorton Win as Labour Braces for Defeat

Zack Polanski’s Party ‘Very Confident’ of Upset

The Green Party of England and Wales says it is on the brink of a “seismic” breakthrough as votes are counted in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Party co-leader Zack Polanski told broadcasters he believed the Greens were running first or second and could pull off a historic win in the Greater Manchester seat — a result that would mark their first ever parliamentary by-election victory.

A Green source later said the party was “very confident” of success as counting continued.

Labour Deputy Appears to Concede

A downbeat Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, appeared to acknowledge defeat in comments to Sky News.

She noted there was a “big majority” in the constituency that had not voted for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK — but added that the Greens had “managed to win the argument that they were best placed” to defeat Reform.

Her remarks were widely interpreted as an implicit concession that Labour had lost its grip on a traditional stronghold.

Pressure Mounts on Keir Starmer

A loss in Gorton and Denton would intensify scrutiny of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership has already been rattled by internal party unrest and poor polling.

Senior Labour figures — including Starmer himself and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham — had campaigned heavily in the constituency in the final days, alongside Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia.

More than 1,000 activists were reportedly deployed in an effort to hold the seat.

Turnout Mirrors General Election

Turnout was announced at 47.62%, almost identical to the 47.8% recorded in the 2024 general election, with 36,903 verified votes cast.

Reform UK had also hoped to capture the seat as part of its recent parliamentary gains, but late indications suggested the contest had narrowed primarily to Labour and the Greens.

Row Erupts Over ‘Family Voting’ Claims

The by-election was also overshadowed by allegations of widespread “family voting,” in which individuals accompany voters into polling booths with the intention of influencing their choice.

Monitoring group Democracy Volunteers claimed it had observed the highest levels of the practice in its 10-year history. However, Manchester City Council said no such issues had been officially reported.

Farage said the claims raised concerns about electoral integrity in predominantly Muslim areas — comments likely to inflame tensions further.

As counting continued into the early hours, the Greens grew increasingly bullish that candidate Hannah Spencer would become the party’s fifth MP — a result that could send shockwaves through British politics.

SOURCE DAILY MAIL

The Greens have cleaned up at the expense of Labour.

How ironic. 😄

https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/27/family-voting-concerns-raised-gorton-denton-by-election-27131475/

Congratulations to the Greens, but it's a by-election. I remember the SDP winning the Crosby by-election in 1981 with a 34% swing. Whatever happened to them?! At least Reform didn't win.

Brilliant result the wonderful Hannah is a plumber who had just qulified as a plasterer - whereas Goodwin (hah!) was somebody who never had a real job , didn't live there and was on GBNews. The working class can win as long as they don't let the billionaire class and their politcal fronts bamboozle them with bs and thanks to the right for helping kill Starmer and splitting into warring factions. The Progressive left is on the rise.

Bad losers as well - muslims voted for a party led by a gay Jewish leader. I love my country and I don't need to waste time pinning cheap Chinese flags on lamposts.

I smell a Rat with this result when a party runs an Add in URDU in a district where there is a large Muslim Community.

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

I smell a Rat with this result when a party runs an Add in URDU in a district where there is a large Muslim Community.

How about reform targeting stupid voters?

42% of the vote on a 47% turnout?

They beat Reform and Labour, convincingly, and on that are to be congratulated; but it is not, really, very "seismic"!

I can't help but wonder how many Labour voters either didn't vote or went Green because Andy Burnham was blocked?

52 minutes ago, kwilco said:

How about reform targeting stupid voters?

52 minutes ago, kwilco said:

How about reform targeting stupid voters?

Who is leading in all the Polls kwilco ???

37 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Who is leading in all the Polls kwilco ???

QED – a lot of stupids about!

Reform are trying to undermine the Gorton and Denton result by playing the race card after the fact.

They made no meaningful objections during the voting itself. No formal complaints from observers. No urgent legal challenges. Nothing. Only once the votes were counted and the result didn’t suit them did the accusations start.

They’re now inflating claims about “family voting” — which has been illegal since 2023 and is already covered by existing electoral law — as if this somehow amounts to systematic fraud. It doesn’t. Isolated concerns about two people in a booth are not evidence of a stolen election.

This is straight out of the Trump playbook: lose, then shout “rigged”. Repeat it loudly enough and hope doubt sticks.

And the use of loaded words like “sectarian” isn’t accidental. It’s designed to stir racial suspicion and inflame tensions, not to protect democracy. If there were genuine evidence of malpractice, it should go through proper legal channels — not social media insinuation.

Questioning results without evidence doesn’t defend democracy. It damages it.

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

How about reform targeting stupid voters?

They only target the "stupid" voters as the intelligent ones already support reform.

So they've been knocking on your door and seeking your support have they ? I didn't realise you were a Gorton lad

Out of genuine interest , how do you think they knew you were stupid? maybe they monitor this site and have noticed your posts

12 minutes ago, kwilco said:

They made no meaningful objections during the voting itself. No formal complaints from observers. No urgent legal challenges. Nothing. Only once the votes were counted and the result didn’t suit them did the accusations start.

the "family voting" issue was indeed raised during the voting , and not by reform , but by a monitoring group called "democracy volunteers" who said it was the worst example of it they had seen in 10 years As they are the only people allowed in the voting area other than those actually voting they are the only people who would know about this, Its Nothing to do with Nigel Farage , who only echoed their concern and quite rightly too

Hopefully the template for defeating Reform. A Labour/Lib Dem/SNP/Green coalition would be the best result for 2029, unless Labour can re-group under Andy Burnham.

3 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Bad losers as well - muslims voted for a party led by a gay Jewish leader.

Well that's not exactly surprising considering how many of them cannot understand English

It's a decision they may well regret once they learn about the green's attitude to LGBT etc and their enthusiasm for legalising class A drugs and that the party leader himself is Jewish and gay.

A tactical vote influenced by their "community elders" They didn't want Labour to win because of their perceived anti palestine stance and they were no doubt told that a reform victory would result in their immediate deportation, Many were told that voting the "wrong" way would result in "problems" for them from their own communities

22 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

the "family voting" issue was indeed raised during the voting , and not by reform , but by a monitoring group called "democracy volunteers" who said it was the worst example of it they had seen in 10 years As they are the only people allowed in the voting area other than those actually voting they are the only people who would know about this, Its Nothing to do with Nigel Farage , who only echoed their concern and quite rightly too

no - it was raised after - get your facts straight.

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Well that's not exactly surprising considering how many of them cannot understand English

How's you Thai?

Most of those indulging in "family voting" didn't even know they were breaking the law as they couldn't even speak or understand English

They should not have been allowed to vote

6 minutes ago, kwilco said:

How's you Thai?

that's not even English

I was going to add that you should stick to road safety , but you know little about that either that night school course has not served you very well . You should ask for your money back

Probably best if you just remain quiet,

15 minutes ago, kwilco said:

no - it was raised after - get your facts straight.

I stand corrected, the family voting scandal was inded raised after the polling finished but well before the results were announced I cannot imagine why that should be, perhaps its something to do with their sponsors , the left leaning and liberal , "Joseph Roundtree foundation" who knows? but its Nothing to do with Farage , as he could not have known about it until they raised the issue

34 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Hopefully the template for defeating Reform. A Labour/Lib Dem/SNP/Green coalition would be the best result for 2029, unless Labour can re-group under Andy Burnham.

Labour won't be any better under Burnham he's just another cheek of the same ar$e.

just look at the state of law and order in Manchester he's as bad as Sadiq Khan

Kwilco why did the greens post a video in urdu ? who was that aimed at, if they cannot speak English did a translator sit in the booth and translate to them telling them where to put there cross ? Farage is not complaining about losing he is complaining about democracy being cheated by 3rd partys. The only reason they won in Gorton was thanks to the Muslim vote. We will see how many county seats they win in the upcoming local bi elections.

6 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Who is leading in all the Polls kwilco ???

perhaps you should see this on being stupid by John Cleese

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1413628999661832

4 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Kwilco why did the greens post a video in urdu ? who was that aimed at, if they cannot speak English did a translator sit in the booth and translate to them telling them where to put there cross ? Farage is not complaining about losing he is complaining about democracy being cheated by 3rd partys. The only reason they won in Gorton was thanks to the Muslim vote. We will see how many county seats they win in the upcoming local bi elections.

4 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Kwilco why did the greens post a video in urdu ? who was that aimed at, if they cannot speak English did a translator sit in the booth and translate to them telling them where to put there cross ? Farage is not complaining about losing he is complaining about democracy being cheated by 3rd partys. The only reason they won in Gorton was thanks to the Muslim vote. We will see how many county seats they win in the upcoming local bi elections.

Do you realise that most government documents are published in multiple languages, including Urdu? Why shouldn't they... The Thai government publishes all sorts of stuff in English so people like you can understand it. The fact that Reform picks out this one language just shows how racist they are.

Doubtfull you will see an add from a thai party in Burmese slating Thais. Provide a link where a thai poster or leaflet displays English on there leaflet concerning voting for a thai candidate. Drop your straws kwilco your clutching them to tight. I'm 68 and have seen many general Elections and Bi Elections i have never seen an add like this where a foreighn language is used to highlite a party that is English speaking.

42% stupid enough to vote Green. The UK is gone.

4 hours ago, kwilco said:

Do you realise that most government documents are published in multiple languages, including Urdu? Why shouldn't they... The Thai government publishes all sorts of stuff in English so people like you can understand it. The fact that Reform picks out this one language just shows how racist they are.

Untrue. These few Thai publications are mainly advisory or to assist tourism. The standard recognized language for domestic legal government business and balloting is Thai and that is as it should be.

The use of Urdu in the UK by the Greens tells us who who this targeted group of voters really is. So much for assimilation.

10 hours ago, kwilco said:

How's you Thai?

He (and I for that matter do not vote here).. I accompanied my daughter when she went to vote for her first time last year, it is a milestone and I have always told her how important it is to participate. I remained outside the polling station. I don't know and neither told her nor asked her how she voted - mind you I have a pretty good idea!.

I doubt whether, given the results and margins, "Family Voting" had much effect on the results in this election. But is certainly a prevalent practice amongst certain communities, both with "in person voting" and particularly in postal voting; let us be frank and not beat about the bush; it is a tradition brought by immigrants from Pakistan and which has been continued throughout subsequent generations. It can be argued that some traditions brought by immigrants enhance our society. Subverting our democratic process through manipulating what should be a secret ballot is not one of them.

"Democracy Volunteers" were right to raise the matter, Farage was within his rights to refer to the practice.

As I said, I doubt that it affected this result, but the practice needs to be stopped.

White? straight? speak English? no.. then you have been ethnically cleansed welcome to universal credit.

13 hours ago, kwilco said:

How about reform targeting stupid voters?

So they have been directly in touch with you.......

10 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

that's not even English

I was going to add that you should stick to road safety , but you know little about that either that night school course has not served you very well . You should ask for your money back

Probably best if you just remain quiet,

He's a thick <deleted>........ totally unfit to support Reform