Plumber and Green Party Rising Star Hannah Spencer Selected to Fight Gorton and Denton Byelection

key takeaways

The Green Party has officially selected Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and prominent Trafford councillor, to contest the high-stakes Gorton and Denton byelection on 26 February 2026.

The selection, announced Friday following a democratic vote by local members, positions Spencer as a central figure in what is shaping up to be a transformative battle for the seat. The vacancy was triggered by the resignation of long-standing MP Andrew Gwynne on health grounds. With Labour’s national executive recently blocking Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing, internal polling suggests a dramatic shift in the political landscape, leaving a vacuum the Greens are eager to fill.

A Working-Class Voice in the North

Spencer, 34, has built a political identity rooted in her trade and her "Mancunian" heritage. A lifelong resident of Greater Manchester, she has worked as a plumber since leaving education at 16 and is currently training to become a plasterer.

In her selection speech, Spencer leaned heavily on her professional background to distinguish herself from "career politicians."

“I work as a plumber, something I’ve done since leaving education at 16. I’m training to become a plasterer too,” Spencer said. “I’ve lived in the constituency and still work here. So, I know the issues and what people want to change.”

Spencer is currently the leader of the Green Group on Trafford Council, representing the Hale ward since May 2023. She previously gained a significant profile during the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election, where she finished fifth but earned praise for her focus on housing retrofit and the cost-of-living crisis.

Life, Family, and Identity

While Spencer maintains a level of privacy regarding her extended family, she is a well-known figure in local community circles.

Local Roots: Spencer identifies strongly as a working-class Northerner, often citing her experience in the manual trades as her primary motivation for entering politics.
Personal Interests: Outside of the council chamber and job sites, she is a keen runner and a dedicated animal welfare advocate. She shares her home with three rescued greyhounds and has been a leading voice for the Green Party’s campaign to ban greyhound racing in the UK.
Identity: Within the party, she serves as the national spokesperson for migration and refugee support, a role that has seen her advocate for inclusive community policies.

The Race to Stop Reform

The byelection has become a flashpoint for national identity politics. Reform UK has fielded Matthew Goodwin, a GB News presenter and former academic, who has faced intense criticism for his comments regarding the "Britishness" of UK-born citizens from minority backgrounds.

Spencer has framed the contest as a choice between "hope and hate."

“Reform have chosen a candidate that will divide our community,” Spencer stated. “He doesn’t even think many of the people who live and work here are even British. I will bring the people of Gorton and Denton together.”

With Gorton and Denton possessing a diverse electorate—where over a quarter of voters identify as Muslim and 44% identify as being from an ethnic minority background—Spencer’s campaign is expected to focus on social cohesion and challenging Reform’s platform.