Labour should resist calls to shift leftwards in all areas of policy after its resounding defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election, a senior minister will warn.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to make the case for a new immigration crackdown next week, at the same time Sir Keir Starmer faces intense pressure to shift his party to the left or resign after the by-election loss.
She will argue that her radical Danish-style reforms are needed to restore public confidence in the asylum system and will make the case that they are consistent with Labour values.
The result of Thursday’s poll saw Labour come third behind Zack Polanski’s Greens and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the previously rock-solid Greater Manchester constituency.
The prime minister has vowed to “keep fighting” following the major blow to his premiership. Sir Keir said the loss was “very disappointing” but insisted he understood voters are “frustrated” and “impatient for change”.
It comes after Angela Rayner said Labour’s defeat must be a “wake up call” for the party as she called for a “braver” approach to politics.
The humiliating loss saw Labour come in third after the Green’s Hannah Spencer stormed to victory.
Gorton and Denton by-election
- PM vows to 'keep on fighting' after Labour by-election defeat
- Police confirm report into claims of 'family voting' made
- Reform reports claims of 'family voting' to police and Electoral Commission
- Plaid Cymru leader says he would 'stand up to Keir Starmer' if elected
- Labour MP says by-election loss is 'catastrophe' in damning verdict
Full story: Shabana Mahmood to introduce legislation on migration to take on Reform
10:21 , Holly BancroftHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood is to introduce new legislation to overhaul Britain’s asylum system as she pushes for bold action on migration to blunt the appeal of Reform UK.
She will say the government must cut migration or risk opening the door to the right who would divide communities with the kind of anti-immigration raids seen in the US.
Ms Mahmood, who faces the prospect of a backbench revolt over the plans, will argue next week that migration reform is consistent with Labour values.
According to a government source, she is expected to say Britain will always provide sanctuary to people genuinely fleeing war and danger, but the generosity of the asylum system is attracting people from across the world, funding human traffickers and encouraging false asylum claims.
Read the full story here:
Shabana Mahmood to introduce legislation on migration to take on Reform
US attack on Iran not 'legal in a way that the UK would recognise', former advisor says
10:05 , Holly BancroftA former UK national security adviser said US and Israeli strikes against Iran were not "legal in a way that the UK would recognise".
Lord Peter Ricketts told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "None of this, I think, is in any sense legal in a way that the UK would recognise.
"There was really no imminent threat to the US. This is action that they chose to undertake, or were dragged into it by the Israelis."
Lord Ricketts added that the Israeli government had "pre-empted any risk that the US-Iranian negotiations were going to reach some sort of deal on the nuclear programme".
Britain should avoid being dragged into war in the Middle East, Labour MP warns
09:47 , Holly BancroftBritain should avoid being dragged into a war in the Middle East, a senior Labour MP has said after the US and Israel attacked Iran.
US and Israeli forces carried out a series of strikes on Tehran and other cities on Saturday morning, claiming they were conducting a "pre-emptive" action and calling for Iranians to overthrow the regime.
The UK government is yet to comment on the strikes.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said she had seen no indication of British involvement in the strikes and urged the Government to avoid getting involved.
She told the BBC's Today programme: "I don't think there's a legal basis for this action."
But she warned there was a risk the UK could become involved if Iran retaliated by attacking Western military bases in the region.
She said: "There's a significant permanent military presence in the Gulf, in Bahrain or Oman or UAE or Qatar, and we don't know how the Iranians are going to respond to this."
Recap: Reform UK reports 'family voting' allegations to Electoral Commission
09:01 , Holly BancroftNigel Farage has said that Reform UK has reported allegations of “family voting” during the Gorton & Denton by-election to the police and Electoral Commission.
Mr Farage claimed that the “many cases of ‘family voting’” were “deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.
The comments come after Democracy Volunteers, an election observer group, said it had witnessed “concerningly high levels” of family voting, which involves multiple people allegedly using a single voting booth at the same time.
A spokesperson for the Greens said that Mr Farage’s comments were “an attempt to undermine the democratic result and is straight out of the Trump playbook”.
Sir Keir under pressure to change direction of government or face leadership challenge
08:39 , Holly BancroftSir Keir Starmer should change direction or face a leadership challenge, Labour MPs have warned.
The scale of Labour’s defeat in Gorton and Denton has prompted some MPs to believe that action needs to be taken sooner rather than later. One MP on the soft left of the Labour party told The Guardian: “I think it hastens everything. I thought we could maybe keep going for another year after May but definitely not now. I don’t think anything can save him”.
One minister said that the by-election result would “intensify calls for Keir to make moves to the progressive wing, but the calls will be to do it now - not in a few months or even a few weeks”.
‘Starmer is for the higher-ups rather than the lower-downs’: Gorton and Denton voters explain why Labour lost
08:00 , Harriette BoucherWe have torn the roof off British politics”, Green Party leader Zack Polanski declared after Hannah Spencer claimed a historic by-election win in Gorton and Denton that has sent shockwaves through the Labour Party.
“Labour’s electoral stranglehold is over,” Mr Polanski said, describing Ms Spencer’s victory as sparking an “existential crisis” for a party which he claims has long taken for granted the support of areas such as this.
It is a result that will have seismic ramifications for British politics – it leaves prime minister Sir Keir Starmer fighting for his political life – but it also brings with it a sense that the age of the Labour heartland in the North West of England is over.
This constituency is only two years old but the area and the seat’s previous iterations have always been loyal to the Labour Party; Manchester Gorton had been red since 1935, Denton and Reddish was Labour from its 1983 creation.
The party that people in this area have long thought represented them slumped to third in this by-election, behind the victorious Greens and Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin, having won the seat with a 13,000 majority at the 2024 general election.
Voters tell Dan Haygarth why they’ve ditched Starmer’s party, leaving it with nowhere to turn:
Gorton and Denton voters explain why Labour lost crucial by-election
Who is Hannah Spencer? The plumber-turned-MP who won historic Gorton and Denton by-election
07:00 , Harriette BoucherPlaid Cymru leader says Welsh elections a two-horse race with Reform
06:00 , Harriette BoucherThe leader of Plaid Cymru has called the upcoming May elections a two-horse race between his party and Reform UK, stating it is a difference between “culture or ignorance, humanity or indifference”.
Rhun ap Iorweth told the International Convention Centre in Newport that a Reform government would set Wales back decades, while also taking aim at Welsh Labour, which he said had run out of ideas after running the country for 27 years.
Labour has led Wales since the Senedd was first established as the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, but, if opinion polls are to be believed, the May election could see more than two decades in power brought to an end.
Mr ap Iorwerth told the packed conference hall: “For Labour, the party is over and so the election in May will be a choice between two contrasting futures.
“Tolerance or division, progress or decay, defiance or deference, culture or ignorance, humanity or indifference, Plaid Cymru or Reform.”
The Independent’s Holly Evans reports:
Plaid Cymru leader says Welsh elections a two-horse race with Reform UK
Comment: Zack Polanski gets under the skin of exactly the right sort of people
05:00 , Harriette BoucherAlan Rusbridger writes:
Some commentators couldn’t get beyond the inadequate dentistry. “A snaggle-tooth vegan,” mocked Clarkson. “A smile like an archaeological dig,” sneered Daniel Hannan.
So, who’s laughing now?
Zack Polanski was supposed to be electoral kryptonite. A scruffy, stubble-chinned, gay, shuffling, breast-enlarging hypnotist with lunatic views. Only in broken Britain would such a fanatical fruitcake emerge as a party leader. A sign, if you needed one, that we have all taken leave of our senses.
And yet Polanski’s candidate for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, romped home this morning, trouncing Reform and humiliating Labour. The early conventional wisdom was that Matt Goodwin – who has good teeth, if only he’d smile more – would walk it. And then the Wokies bit back. Ouch.
Read here:
Zack Polanski gets under the skin of exactly the right sort of people
Elections watchdog working closely with police following claims of family voting
04:01 , Harriette BoucherThe elections watchdog has said it was working closely with the returning officer and police to review information following allegations of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
In a letter responding to James Cleverly, Vijay Rangarajan, the Electoral Commission’s chief executive, said: “We strongly agree with you on the importance of secrecy of the ballot.
“Family voting - indeed any attempt to pressure someone to vote a certain way - is a criminal offence”.
It comes after the Tory MP wrote to the agency to request an investigation into the alleged electoral law breaches.
National voting intention: 2025 to 2026
03:00 , Harriette BoucherGreens more likely to win majority at general elections than Tories, betting shop predicts
02:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Greens are now shorter in the betting than the Conservatives to win the most seats at the next general election, according to betting shop Ladbrokes.
Watch: New Green MP Hannah Spencer slams 'misinformation' about her ahead of by-election
01:00 , Harriette BoucherWhat has sparked allegations of 'family voting' in the by-election?
00:00 , Harriette BoucherReform UK has reported cases of “family voting” in the Gorton and Denton by-election to the Electoral Commission and police.
It came after election observer group Democracy Volunteers claimed it had witnessed "concerningly high levels" of family voting.
“Family voting”, in which two voters either confer, collude or direct each other on voting, was made illegal by the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
Nigel Farage said earlier that the election result was “a victory for sectarianism and cheating”.
Democracy Volunteers claimed it witnessed the illegal practice in 68 per cent of 22 polling stations that it visited.
The election watchdog urged anyone with concerns about illegal voting to go to the police.
Analysis: What will be going on inside No 10 after the Green sweep in Gorton and Denton
Friday 27 February 2026 23:00 , Harriette BoucherNational voting intention: 2025 to 2026
Friday 27 February 2026 20:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHannah Spencer’s speech in full as Greens win Gorton and Denton by-election
Friday 27 February 2026 19:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHannah Spencer swept to victory at the Gorton and Denton by-election last night.
The Manchester-born plumber and plasterer made an impassioned plea for unity as she greeted voters in her victory speech.
You can watch everything she had to say below:
Hannah Spencer’s speech in full as Greens win Gorton and Denton by-election
Greens more likely to win majority at general elections than Tories, betting shop predicts
Friday 27 February 2026 18:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Greens are now shorter in the betting than the Conservatives to win the most seats at the next general election, according to betting shop Ladbrokes.
The Greens are now shorter in the betting than the Conservatives to win the most seats at the next GE.
— Ladbrokes Politics (@LadPolitics) February 27, 2026
Following last night's by-election, here's how we bet:
Reform UK - 7/4
Labour - 2/1
Greens - 11/2
Conservatives - 6/1
Restore Britain - 16/1
Lib Dems - 33/1
Your Party - 200/1
Elections watchdog working closely with police following claims of family voting
Friday 27 February 2026 17:57 , Harriette BoucherThe elections watchdog has said it was working closely with the returning officer and police to review information following allegations of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
In a letter responding to James Cleverly, Vijay Rangarajan, the Electoral Commission’s chief executive, said: “We strongly agree with you on the importance of secrecy of the ballot.
“Family voting - indeed any attempt to pressure someone to vote a certain way - is a criminal offence”.
It comes after the Tory MP wrote to the agency to request an investigation into the alleged electoral law breaches.
Watch: Hannah Spencer's speech in full as Greens win Gorton and Denton by-election
Friday 27 February 2026 17:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneTories demand investigation into alleged electoral law breaches
Friday 27 February 2026 17:10 , Harriette BoucherTory MP James Cleverly has written to the Electoral Commission requesting a full inquiry following a report published by Democracy Volunteers claiming electoral offences were committed at the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The group said it witnessed “family voting” in 68 per cent of 22 polling stations that it monitored.
Following the claims, Reform UK reported cases of “family voting” in the Gorton and Denton by-election to the Electoral Commission and police.
Gorton and Denton: 2024 vs 2026 vote share
Friday 27 February 2026 17:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour MP says by-election loss is 'catastrophe' in damning verdict
Friday 27 February 2026 16:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Gorton and Denton by-election defeat is a "catastrophe", a Labour MP has said.
"What on earth is this Labour Party doing,” asked Karl Turner.
The MP told Times Radio that the result, which saw Sir Keir Starmer's party come in third behind the Green Party and Reform, is "the worst result the Labour Party could have ever had".
"We are in a position where we can’t out-Left-wing the Greens, we tried to out-Right-wing Reform on immigration, other such matters. My message to Keir, the Prime Minister, is this. Why don’t we try to be Labour?", he said.
Issuing a damning verdict on Sir Keir's leadership, the MP added: “For crying out loud. Start listening to Labour MPs, start listening to people who knock the doors, who’ve been doing it forever. That’s the truth of where we are. What on earth is this Labour Party doing? What on earth has the Labour Party come to? We’ve now got the Greens in Manchester, it’s a catastrophe.”
Police confirm report into claims of 'family voting' made
Friday 27 February 2026 16:09 , Harriette BoucherGreater Manchester Police confirmed it had received a report of claims of “family voting” in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
A spokesperson said: “We can confirm a report has been made. We are in the process of reviewing this report and will provide a further update in due course.”
It comes after Nigel Farage said Reform had reported cases of “family voting” to the police and Electoral Commission.
In a statement, the party’s leader said: “Reform has today reported the many cases of 'family voting' to the electoral commission and the police.
“What was witnessed yesterday is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.”
GMP confirms report of 'family voting'
Friday 27 February 2026 15:14 , Nicole Wootton-CaneGreater Manchester Police has confirmed it has received a report of “family voting” after Reform UK said it had complained to the force.
Officers said in a statement: “We are in the process of reviewing this report and will provide a further update in due course.”
Comment: Zack Polanski - Today, the people of Gorton and Denton have changed everything
Friday 27 February 2026 15:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Zack Polanski: Today, the people of Gorton and Denton have changed everything
Sarwar attempts to rally the troops as Gorton and Denton looms over Holyrood election
Friday 27 February 2026 14:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Anas Sarwar is speaking at the Scottish Labour’s conference in Paisley Town Hall now, as tries to focus on his bid to become Scotland's first minister in the upcoming Holyrood election.
The Scottish Labour leader has not yet mentioned the disastrous result in Gorton and Denton yet, but has previously called for the prime minister to quit amid the fallout of the Peter Mandelson scandal.
Speaking about his bid to become Labour’s first minister in May's election, he said: “Underestimate me, underestimate the people in this room at your peril. Because this is an opportunity we will not miss.”
Green winner Hannah Spencer 'appalled' by other parties' 'divisive, dog-whistling' campaigning
Friday 27 February 2026 14:26 , Harriette BoucherReform reports claims of family voting to police and electoral comission
Friday 27 February 2026 14:24 , Nicole Wootton-CaneNigel Farage has said Reform has reported alleged cases of “family voting” to the electoral commission and Greater Manchester Police.
Earlier this afternoon, the force told The Independent it had received no reports of electoral offences, including family voting, relating to the Gorton and Denton by-election. It is not clear if the report was made after this.
GMP added any communications around such offences will be issued proactively.
What has sparked allegations of 'family voting' in the by-election?
Friday 27 February 2026 14:10 , Harriette BoucherReform UK has reported cases of “family voting” in the Gorton and Denton by-election to the Electoral Commission and police.
It came after election observer group Democracy Volunteers claimed it had witnessed "concerningly high levels" of family voting.
“Family voting”, in which two voters either confer, collude or direct each other on voting, was made illegal by the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
Nigel Farage said earlier that the election result was “a victory for sectarianism and cheating”.
Democracy Volunteers claimed it witnessed the illegal practice in 68 per cent of 22 polling stations that it visited.
The election watchdog urged anyone with concerns about illegal voting to go to the police.
Gorton and Denton by-election results in full
Friday 27 February 2026 13:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAnalysis: Keir Starmer may not be the only political leader in trouble after the by-election
Friday 27 February 2026 12:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
A number of Lib Dem MPs are seething about the way their party has been “relegated to obscurity” after a by-election where they lost their deposit.
In years past it would have been the Lib Dems who would have taken the protest vote and emerged as the party to grab a seat of Labour or the Tories. But in Gorton and Denton they polled a very distant fifth while the Greens swept to victory.
It has brought concerns over Sir Ed Davey’s leadership to the fore with fury over the way that the party is “just not part of the national conversation” and “cannot make news”.
He is accused of focussing on important but niche like carers and publicity stunts and losing ground to the Greens on social issues and foreign policy such as the Middle east crisis.
Conversations are taking place over whether Sir Ed should be replaced.
One MP told The Independent: “I am at the end of my tether.”
