Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell has openly conceded that the Green Party effectively won the critical argument that they represented the strongest force to block Reform UK from gaining ground in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Speaking as vote counting progressed, with results anticipated on Friday morning, Powell appeared to acknowledge an impending defeat for her party's candidate in this traditional Labour bastion.
Concession at the Count
Addressing Sky News at the election count, Powell expressed her personal disappointment, stating, "I wanted Angeliki Stogia to be my colleague in Parliament." However, she pivoted to a stark admission: "But I think what is really clear is that there is a big majority in this constituency that hasn't voted for Reform. And on the day the Greens have managed to win that argument that they were best placed to do that."
She tempered this concession with a note of political strategy, adding, "But I'm not sure whether that would totally translate in a general election." Powell contextualised the potential loss by noting that "parties of government too often lose by-elections midterm like this" and emphasised that the broader national choice at the next general election would be between a Reform government and a Labour government, a dynamic she believes will "focus people's minds in a different way."
Humility and Reflection
In a call for introspection, the Labour deputy leader asserted, "We've got to, of course, take stock, as we always do, and show humility and that we are hearing what people are saying." A defeat in Gorton and Denton, a long-standing Labour stronghold which the party won with over half the vote in 2024, would undoubtedly deliver a significant blow to Sir Keir Starmer's premiership.
Despite this, Powell firmly dismissed any speculation of internal turmoil, insisting "there is no leadership contest" and that Sir Keir was resolutely determined to "show our Labour values more strongly." Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski projected confidence from the count, remarking that "things are feeling positive," as indications pointed toward a likely victory for Green candidate Hannah Spencer over Labour's Angeliki Stogia.
The mood at the election venue strongly suggested a pivotal shift, with the Greens capitalising on tactical voting sentiments to position themselves as the primary barrier against Reform UK in this specific constituency contest.
