Labour has named Manchester city councillor Angeliki Stogia as its candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election as the party attempts to defend the seat and avoid an embarrassing defeat.
The selection of the relatively unknown candidate comes just days after mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was denied permission to stand for the party – sparking anger among Labour backbenchers and growing fears that the party will struggle to keep hold of the seat.
Critics have accused Sir Keir Starmer and his allies of preventing Mr Burnham’s candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor as both Labour’s poll ratings and his personal approval ratings flounder.
Ms Stogia, who has served as the Manchester city councillor for Whalley Range since 2012, was revealed as the party’s candidate for the seat on Saturday afternoon, saying she is standing to be the MP for Gorton and Denton to “unite our community and stand up to the divisive politics of Reform.”
Flanked by Labour party chairwoman Anna Turley and deputy leader Lucy Powell, the councillor told a crowd of Labour activists at a launch event in the constituency on Saturday she was a “proud Mancunian woman”, adding: “I have walked the streets of this constituency.”
As Labour attempts to roll the pitch for a straight fight with Reform UK, Ms Stogia also said: “This is about Manchester. Manchester is a city united, we are rejecting division. I am so looking forward to going out on the doorstep and winning this for Labour.”
Reform UK has chosen GB News presenter and former academic Matt Goodwin to contest the seat for them – a candidate who has since been endorsed by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Meanwhile, while councillor and plumber Hannah Spencer will run for the Greens and the Liberal Democrats have named local campaigner Jackie Pearcey.
In a statement, Ms Stogia – who stood at the general election in Chester South and Eddisbury but placed second behind the Conservatives – said: “I have devoted my life to working and campaigning for the people of Manchester and Greater Manchester. In the last 12 years alone, I have a campaigned for good homes, better transport, and a greener Manchester.
“Now I’m standing to be your Member of Parliament to unite our community and stand up to the divisive politics of Reform.”
She added: “This is a moment of choice for Gorton and Denton – between a community that stands united or politics that divides neighbour from neighbour. I’m on the side of unity, fairness and hope.”
Ms Stogia, who is originally from Greece, moved to the UK in the 90s and has lived in Manchester since 2004.
The by-election was prompted by the resignation of former MP Andrew Gwynne, who stood down citing health reasons. Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and suspended from the Labour Party in February last year over offensive comments made in a WhatsApp group.
He won the seat for Labour with more than half the vote – 18,555 – in 2024 while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK came second on 5,142 votes, narrowly beating the Greens with 4,810.
The race is likely to be closely fought by all three parties although Sir Keir Starmer has insisted it is a “straight fight” between Mr Farage’s party and his own.
But in the wake of the decision to block the Manchester mayor from standing, it has emerged that despondent Labour MPs are reluctant to campaign in the crucial by-election because they fear the party could face an embarrassing defeat amid growing concerns over the prime minister’s leadership.
Sir Keir’s MPs are under strict instructions to offer their support in the constituency and all of them are expected to campaign at least once in the seat before next months’ vote amid growing fears that Reform UK or the Green Party could snatch the historically safe seat.
It comes after an early opinion poll has suggested Labour’s support could crumble in the seat, with Reform and the Greens picking up a larger share of the vote.
The Find Out Now poll shows Mr Farage’s is set to beat Labour by three percentage points, with Reform on 30 per cent, Labour on 27 per cent and the Green Party on 17 per cent.
However, the sample size in the survey was small – polling just 143 voters in Gorton and Denton – meaning it is likely to have a larger-than-usual margin of error.
A number of backbenchers have told The Independent they are unenthusiastic about the prospect of heading to Gorton and Denton, particularly after Mr Burnham was blocked from standing in the seat.
“We would have won with Andy Burnham, but I know activists from my constituency don’t exactly feel inspired to go and campaign there now,” an MP noted.