Gorton and Denton
26 February 2026 - A Parliamentary By-election to watch
Image: Map showing the Gorton and Denton constituency - (Source: Parliament)
Gorton and Denton are two areas within the county of Greater Manchester. Both have been represented by Labour Party MPs since 1945.
Prior to the July 2024 general election, Manchester Gorton was a constituency and so was Denton and Reddish - (Reddish is a part of Stockport).
Boundary changes took effect and, at the 2024 General Election, the present Gorton and Denton constituency came into being. Mr Andrew Gwynne (Labour) was elected albeit with a significantly lower share of the vote than at the previous election held in December 2019. The 2024 Election Result is HERE.
By-election:
The by-election on Thursday 26 February 2026 is the result of Mr Gwynne’s resignation on health grounds. Prior to 2024 he was MP for Denton and Reddish and had held that seat since May 2005.
The constituency has a considerable degree of deprivation although the degree of derpivation varies across the constituency - Parliament (Deprivation in England).
Commons Library - Deprivation in England
It is thought that the Muslim vote will have a notable effect on the election - see PoliticsHome 11 February 2026 and Aljazeera 16 February 2026.
The western side of the constituency comprises parts of the city of Manchester which are home to large student and Muslim populations. The eastern part of the constituency is located in the borough of Tameside and is a largely working-class post-industrial area with a mainly older (non-Muslim) population.
Further information about the constituency is available at Baseview (Gorton and Denton) and also at Henry Jackson Society.
Eleven candidates will contest the election but the real battle is between The Labour Party (candidate Angeliki Stogia), the Green Party (candidate Hannah Spencer), and the right-wing Reform UK Party (candidate Matt Goodwin). The full list of candidates is HERE. See also Levenshulme Community - Voting in the Gorton and Denton election.
This will be a difficult election for Labour given that the Labour government and the Prime Minister are unpopular throughout the country. Furthermore, despite holding the area since 1945, the Labour Party can hardly claim to have been especially successful for the constituency.
The election result will be poured over by political pundits / analysts and politicians will already have win / lose speeches ready. If it is either lost to Labour or a narrow win for Labour there will be increased pressure for a change of either party leadership or policy.
The result will also send out some indication of how elections due in May 2026 might turn out. The May elections are for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd, and local government in England - BBC Simple Guide to the May elections and Institute for Government - Local elections 2026.
Note:
Former MP and now Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, stepped forward to stand for Labour but was rejected by the Party's ruling committee. A ten-member National Executive (NEC) blocked Burnham from standing in the by-election under a rule designed to stop mayors triggering costly by-elections.