Around 50 Sheffield Green Party members supported the “exciting” campaign in the Gorton and Denton by-election, as Hannah Spencer became the first Green MP in the North.
Last Thursday’s by-election saw the Greens win the east Manchester seat with 40.7% of the vote, a 28% increase since the General Election in 2024.
Before the by-election, the Gorton and Denton seat was held by Labour for nearly 100 years.
Reform came in second with 28.7% of the vote, a 15% increase since 2024, and Labour received 25.4%, representing a 25% loss.
Dylan Lewis-Creser, 21, was among the Sheffield Greens who went to the constituency on polling day, which they described as “really exciting”.
Dylan spent the day knocking on doors of people who had previously indicated they might vote Green.
They said: “A lot of it was people worrying about how to stop Reform. I think we won that argument because of the polls coming out and showing we were the tactical choice.
“People are rightfully angry. The system doesn’t work for people, and it’s showing that there is an alternative that doesn’t rely on demonising immigrants, scapegoating disabled people, but actually looks to broader system change that brings up everyone and doesn’t pit us against each other.”
Dylan described the day as positive and friendly, even when bumping into other party members including Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting in the morning.
They estimated 2,000 Green Party members were out campaigning in the constituency on 26 February, with around 50 from Sheffield.
They said: “Typical Green Party local election campaigns have been focused on defending the seats we already have, to make sure our vote holds up, but now it feels quite different.
“There’s wards all across the city, that I think Greens have a shot in. Just because people really want an alternative.”
Another Sheffield Green Party member, Tom Atkin-Withers, 22, spent 11 hours outside a polling station in Levenshulme, before celebrating the win at an afterparty.
They said “the room exploded” the moment Hannah was announced as the Member of Parliament.
“We couldn’t believe we’d done it.”
They said: “It was immense, Sheffield people kept going to Gorton basically every day [in the run up to the election]. We’re one of the nearest large local parties in the Green Party, so it makes sense.
“We knew that our first Green MP in the North would open the floodgates for us to an extent, that it would be a good thing for the entire party and for the entire North, for all the various local parties, if we won.
“People would take notice and that means that maybe come our local elections which we have in May, we might do well.”
Both Tom and Dylan told Sheffield Wire they see the Greens as the realistic opposition to Reform, and believe the party creates hope for the future.
Tom said: “Hannah Spencer is really down to earth. She came round and thanked every single person in the office who was helping out. We need more people like that in Parliament.”
The Green Party now have five MP’s, and have surpassed 200,000 members after the by-election victory.
Photo credit: Nathan Goldup-John
