Overview
- Hannah Spencer won 14,980 votes for the Greens, defeating Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin on 10,578 and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia on 9,364, with turnout about 47.5%.
- The result overturns Labour’s 2024 majority of 13,413, delivers roughly a 26% swing from Labour to Green, and raises the Greens’ Commons total to five MPs.
- Election observers reported unusually high levels of ‘family voting’ at multiple polling stations, a claim Manchester City Council said had not been reported to officials on the day.
- Labour’s vote collapsed in a seat it dominated for decades as the Greens successfully presented themselves to many voters as the best route to keep Reform out, a point acknowledged by deputy leader Lucy Powell.
- The defeat has prompted renewed scrutiny of Labour’s strategy and candidate choices, including the NEC decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing after Andrew Gwynne resigned for health reasons.