The political spotlight has swung firmly onto Greater Manchester as the Gorton and Denton constituency gears up for a fiercely contested by-election on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The vote, prompted by the sudden resignation of long-serving Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, has rapidly evolved into a high-stakes battleground for the major parties—and a test of Labour’s unity and resilience in the face of mounting internal and external pressures.
Andrew Gwynne’s departure, announced on January 22, 2026, came on health grounds after a turbulent period marked by his suspension and an ongoing ethics investigation into leaked abusive WhatsApp messages. Gwynne had been a dominant figure in the seat, securing it for Labour with more than half the vote—18,555—in the 2024 general election. Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, came second with 5,142 votes, narrowly overtaking the Greens, who garnered 4,810 votes. The Liberal Democrats trailed, but have remained active in the area.
Labour’s candidate selection process was anything but smooth. The party’s decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing—citing a rule meant to prevent costly by-elections for mayoralties—sparked internal dissent. According to BBC News, about 50 Labour MPs signed a letter of protest, and the Tribune group, representing over 100 MPs, expressed disappointment. Burnham himself said on BBC Radio Manchester, “I did not try to undermine the government with the bid. I simply wanted to stand to fight the politics of Reform and defend Greater Manchester from being picked apart.” He added, “I accepted the decision of the NEC.”
The party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) defended its move, arguing that Burnham’s election would trigger an “unnecessary election” for the mayoralty and divert vital resources from other campaigns. The controversy left some local party members feeling sidelined, with 17 members of Gorton and Denton’s Labour Party writing to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of “playing” with their future and handing the seat to Reform UK.
Into this fraught atmosphere stepped Angeliki Stogia, a Manchester city councillor for Whalley Range since 2012 and the first Manchester councillor of Greek heritage. Announced as Labour’s candidate at the Jain Community Centre in Longsight on January 31, 2026, Stogia quickly moved to energize the party base. “I am absolutely thrilled and excited, and I want to thank everyone who came to the hustings,” she told a crowd of Labour activists, according to PA Media. “I am a proud Mancunian woman. I have walked the streets of this constituency.”
Stogia’s background is steeped in local politics and activism. Originally from Arta, Greece, she moved to the UK in the 1990s, studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, and became a naturalized British citizen. Her political journey began in regeneration work, which, as she wrote on Labour’s Whalley Range website, “fired my passion about fairness, equality and sustainability and how we can make sure that the benefits of economic success reach those who need it the most.”
Stogia has been a prominent voice on transport and environmental issues, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she advocated for active travel and the pedestrianization of parts of Deansgate. She previously stood for Labour in the Chester South and Eddisbury constituency in the 2024 general election, coming second with 32.1% of the vote. “In the last 12 years alone, I have campaigned for good homes, better transport and a greener Manchester,” she said at her campaign launch, flanked by Labour chairwoman Anna Turley and deputy leader Lucy Powell.
Labour’s campaign has not been without its challenges. Sir Keir Starmer, pressed by journalists in Japan about whether he would campaign in Gorton and Denton, declined to commit. “We’ll set out our campaign programme. But I mean, I’ve been campaigning all the time across the country,” he said, according to The Telegraph. His noncommittal stance has been interpreted by some as a sign of wavering support for Stogia’s campaign, especially as both Nigel Farage and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have visited the constituency to support their respective candidates.
Reform UK has selected Matt Goodwin, a GB News presenter and former academic, as its candidate. The Greens are fielding Hannah Spencer, a councillor and plumber, while the Liberal Democrats have named local campaigner Jackie Pearcey. The contest has been described as a three-way tussle, with early opinion polls suggesting Labour’s support could falter. One Find Out Now poll indicated Reform could beat Labour by three percentage points, but also noted Labour would have retained a commanding lead had Burnham been allowed to stand.
The tone of the campaign has grown sharper, with Stogia vowing to “stand up to the divisive politics of Reform.” She told activists, “This is a moment of choice for Gorton and Denton—between a community that stands united or politics that divides neighbour from neighbour. I’m on the side of unity, fairness and hope.” Starmer, for his part, criticized Reform’s candidate after Tommy Robinson endorsed Goodwin. “That tells you everything about the politics they intend to inject into this by-election, the politics of poisonous division, so we can see exactly where that’s going. So it’s Labour versus Reform, and we will fight for renewal, for inclusive communities and bringing people together, and for true patriotism against the plastic patriotism of Reform,” he said.
The internal divisions within Labour have been laid bare. Steve Rotheram, Labour mayor of Liverpool City Region, criticized what he called a “culture of anonymous briefings” from within the party, writing on social media: “These anonymous attacks help nobody but our opponents. For the sake of our party, please just stop.” Burnham, too, has expressed frustration at media attacks following his blocked candidacy, saying, “People just think they can say what they like to the media.”
Despite the turbulence, Stogia remains focused on her campaign. “Now I’m standing to be your Member of Parliament to unite our community and stand up to the divisive politics of Reform,” she declared at her launch event. With activists rallying behind her and the national party’s attention—if not its physical presence—still on the contest, the outcome in Gorton and Denton will serve as a bellwether for Labour’s ability to hold its ground in the face of rising challenges from both Reform UK and the Greens.
As voters prepare to head to the polls, the by-election stands as a microcosm of the broader national tensions—between unity and division, old loyalties and new challengers, and the future direction of Britain’s political landscape.