Gorton and Denton: A Surprise Test for Labour

In a district that has long supported Labour, a sudden by‑election could shake the party’s confidence. The area mixes working‑class families, students and graduates, and a strong ethnic minority presence – all groups that helped Keir Starmer become prime minister. If the party finishes third, it would add to recent troubles for his government. Polls show a three‑way tie between Labour, the right‑wing Reform U. K. and the progressive Green Party. Each side claims an advantage as they battle in a campaign that has become increasingly bitter. Accusations range from alleged violations of campaign rules to hateful language, misrepresented data and promises that sound like empty rhetoric.This week the Green leader dismissed Labour as “irrelevant. ” Labour counters that the Green candidate tried to influence voters with Urdu flyers urging Muslims to retaliate against Labour over Gaza. A Reform supporter was suspended for posts deemed racist and antisemitic. During a parliamentary debate, Starmer sidestepped the Green threat and focused on Reform. He criticised Nigel Farage for offering only division, while noting that Reform’s Matt Goodwin had suggested a person’s race could affect their British identity, saying “it takes more than a piece of paper to make somebody ‘British. ’” The by‑election will test whether Labour can maintain its traditional support or if the shifting political landscape will push it into third place.