Internal rifts, growing support for smaller parties are challenging Labour’s dominance in Greater Manchester.
A by-election in northern England that should have been routine for the governing Labour Party is instead becoming a test of how fragmented British politics has become.
Voters in the Gorton and Denton constituency of Greater Manchester are set to cast ballots on February 26 after long-serving MP Andrew Gwynne resigned in January.
Eleven candidates are vying for the seat: Sir Oink A-Lot (Official Monster Raving Loony Party); Nick Buckley (Advance UK); Charlotte Cadden (Conservative Party); Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party); Matt Goodwin (Reform UK); Sebastian Moore (Social Democratic Party); Joseph O’Meachair (Rejoin EU Party); Jackie Pearcey (Liberal Democrats); Hannah Spencer (Green Party); Angeliki Stogia (Labour Party); and Hugo Wills (Communist League).
For years, Gorton and Denton was considered a Labour stronghold, but now the party faces a battle amid growing voter dissatisfaction and internal friction.
The lead-up to the vote has been dominated by a high-profile dispute over the selection of Labour’s new candidate after a bid by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to stand as the candidate was blocked, with the party’s leadership choosing Stogia, a local councillor, to defend the seat.
Still, Labour commands loyal support. “[They do a] very good job and we support them,” Khaled Osman, a local supporter, told Al Jazeera. “We appreciate everything they do: the support for refugees, for asylum, and for the people who work hard.”
Not everyone, however, in this diverse and relatively deprived constituency feels that way.
“The sooner Labour’s out of power, the better,” said resident Colin Hensey, pointing to the decline of local services. “Wherever you go, you’re trying to get a doctor’s appointment now. And yet, this is why everybody is going off to the A&E [accident and emergency] because they can’t get local appointments at the surgery. We never had this problem 20, 30 years ago.”
On Labour’s left flank, the Green Party is positioning itself as an alternative, arguing that the governing party has moved away from some the values it once championed.
The far-right Reform UK is also vying for a victory, presenting itself as the anti-system voice – tough on immigration and crime, and openly hostile to what it calls a broken political class.
“I think Labour’s let us down for years,” said Carl Morris, a Reform supporter. “I’ve worked in Denton for 28 years now, and the place is just full of rubbish. People are dumping stuff all over the show. Labour’s done nothing for this town.”
Reporting from Gorton and Denton, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego said every single vote will count in the seemingly tight contest later this month.
“It is a struggle for who gets to channel the frustrations felt here and where it goes next,” she added.