Green grief for Starmer: by-election special
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 27 February 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Gorton and Denton by-election was supposedly a three-horse race, but on polling day the Green Party stormed to victory by a vast margin. It was a devastating defeat for Labour, which was pushed into third place behind Reform UK. Sir Keir Starmer now faces intense pressure, while his party must battle a threat from the left as well as the right. Does this historic result – the first ever by-election triumph for the Greens – signal the end of the two-party system? And where does it leave Reform?
Host Lucy Fisher is joined by FT political correspondent Anna Gross, northern England correspondent Jennifer Williams, and political editor George Parker.
Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher and @lucyfisher.ft.com; George @georgewparker; Jennifer @JenWilliams_FT; Anna @AnnaSophieGross
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Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher. This episode was produced by Fiona Symon and Mischa Frankl-Duval. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We have shown that we don't have to accept being turned against each other at all. |
| 0:06.3 | And we did this with the people who live here, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, just as we |
| 0:13.1 | have always done in this constituency and in the whole of Greater Manchester. |
| 0:18.1 | Because this is Greater, is Manchester. |
| 0:21.7 | And we do things differently here. |
| 0:24.0 | Thank you so, so much to everybody. |
| 0:26.5 | Thank you. |
| 0:31.7 | That was Hannah Spencer, who won the Gordon Indentian by-election for the Green Party |
| 0:36.1 | in what had been a safe Labour seat in Greater Manchester |
| 0:39.0 | since before the Second World War. |
| 0:41.8 | The result could hardly have been worse for Labour, |
| 0:44.3 | which ended in third place after Reform UK. |
| 0:47.5 | And the Conservative and Lib Dem candidates did so badly they lost their deposits. |
| 0:52.2 | So is this the final death knell for two-party politics as the Greens |
| 0:55.7 | celebrate a major victory, their first ever in a by-election? And what else does it mean for the |
| 1:00.7 | evolving UK political landscape? Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher. |
| 1:08.5 | To discuss the result, I'm joined down the line from Manchester by a slightly bleary-eyed Jennifer Williams, who stayed up all night to cover the results of the vote. Hi, Jen. Hello. Here in the studio with me is the FT's political editor, George Parker. Hi, George. Hello, Lucy. A bit more bright-hide in Bush's Hill, perhaps. And the FT's political correspondent, Anna Gross. Hi, Anna. Hi, Lucy. A bit more bright-eyed and bushels. Just about. Perhaps. And the FT's political correspondent Anna Gross. |
| 1:28.8 | Hi, Anna. |
| 1:29.2 | Hi, Lucy. |
| 1:32.8 | I must just start with a happy post-by-election Friday. |
| 1:36.9 | This is, of course, high holiday for political hacks, and it's such an interesting result. |
| 1:42.4 | Before we get into the analysis, Jen, just give us a bit of a |
... |
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