IN FULL: Matt Goodwin and Hannah Spencer go HEAD TO HEAD in Gorton and Denton by-election hustings

Video Description

The countdown to the Gorton and Denton by-election continued today (February 12) with a hustings hosted by the Manchester Evening News with five candidates present: Charlotte Cadden (Conservative Party), Matt Goodwin (Reform UK), Jackie Pearcey (Lib Dems), Hannah Spencer (Green Party), Angeliki Stogia (Labour Party). Ballots in the Greater Manchester constituency are set to be cast on February 26, in a by-election triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne who announced the news on January 22. Mr Gwynne had been MP for the area since 2005, but faced heavy criticism when WhatsApp messages he sent were made public last February, in which he was seen to make disparaging comments about his own constituents. Gwynne cited ill health as the reason for his resignation. This election has fallen in a turbulent period for Labour, under the shadow of ongoing controversy over Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to appoint him as US ambassador. The Prime Minister has faced a number of calls to resign, including from the leader of the Scottish Labour Party and Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage. Major cabinet figures and Greater Manchester MPs including Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell, alongside Andy Burnham, said they support Starmer's leadership - despite the latter being blocked by the Prime Minister from standing as a candidate in Gorton and Denton. "Welcome to Manchester": Three words and the tone was set before it even began https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/welcome-manchester-three-words-tone-33415502 LIKE | COMMENT | SUBSCRIBE | SHARE #UKpolitics #byelection #reformuk