GB News presenter Matt Goodwin has been named as the Reform UK candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The political commentator and former academic said he was “not part of the establishment” and described the contest as a “referendum on Keir Starmer”.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former MP Andrew Gwynne, who stood down citing health reasons.
Labour won the seat with more than half the vote – 18,555 – in 2024, with Reform coming second at 5,142 votes and narrowly beating the Greens at 4,810.
Appearing at a press conference in the constituency to announce his candidacy, Mr Goodwin said: “I am not a career politician. I am not a Tory.
“I am not part of the establishment. I am not part of the Westminster blob.
“I am, like many people in this seat and millions of people in this country, hard-working taxpayers who are just fed up of watching what is happening to their communities and to their home.”
Labour said the former academic turned commentator represented the type of politics that would “drive a wedge” between communities in Manchester.
Mr Goodwin was criticised last year for saying in a post on X: “It takes more than a piece of paper to make somebody ‘British’.”
The Lib Dems, who described the remark as “racist rhetoric” and a “disgrace” at the time, also warned against “divisive politics” after his selection.
Nigel Farage’s party is seeking to turn an opinion poll lead into votes at the ballot box as Sir Keir faces internal discontent about the move to block Andy Burnham from running in the contest.
The Prime Minister has defended the decision by members of Labour’s National Executive Committee, arguing that allowing the Greater Manchester Mayor to stand would divert resources away from campaigns ahead of the local elections.
The party is due to select its candidate for the Westminster seat on Saturday.
I will be standing for Reform UK in the Gorton & Denton by-election on February 26th.
— Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) January 27, 2026
This election is a referendum on Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
If you want him out, vote Reform. pic.twitter.com/RC4py5J2TI
In a speech after being introduced by Reform chief whip Lee Anderson, Mr Goodwin said: “This by-election is actually a referendum. It’s a referendum on Keir Starmer.
“It’s a chance for hard-working, law-abiding people, tax-paying people from this seat to have their say on Keir Starmer and to make political history.”
Mr Goodwin declined to say whether he wanted the string of prominent former Conservative MPs who have recently defected to Reform to campaign on his behalf in Greater Manchester.
Asked whether he would welcome figures like ex-chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and former home secretary Suella Braverman coming up to help him in the race, he said: “Well, my view has always been that Reform, when Nigel Farage really came back to Reform and got it going at the ’24 general election, he was quite clear when he called it a people’s revolt.
“Now my view has always been that the power behind this people’s revolt has to, as the name implies, it has to come from the people from across the political spectrum, left, right, centre, none of the above.
“That’s what will give this strength, and ultimately, that’s what will fix our political system and fix the country.”
He said: “So I’ve never personally viewed, and I don’t think people at the top of Reform view it this way – I’ve never viewed it as a sort of Tory party 2.0.
“I’ve got lots of friends in the party who are former Labour people, former Lib Dem people, none of the above people.”
Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell, the MP for Manchester Central, said: “Matt Goodwin represents the kind of politics that will drive a wedge between communities in Manchester.
“Reform have misjudged the mood around Manchester and they won’t put the priorities of working people first. They just offer division, animosity, and hatred – not the unity and pride which our city stands for.
“Only a vote for Labour can stop Reform’s toxic politics and guarantee residents have a local champion that will cut their cost of living as their new Labour MP.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves branded Reform UK “just recycled Conservatives” and said Labour would be “campaigning hard in the constituency to get a Labour victory.”
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “This by-election is a straight contest between hope and hate.
“The Green Party will be out campaigning every day, to improve the cost of living by taxing the super rich.”
Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “Reform UK’s selection of Matthew Goodwin proves they are a party built on a single foundation: division.”
She added: “We cannot allow the divisive politics of Trump’s America to become the blueprint for Farage’s Britain.”
