Labour Announces New Candidate for Gorton and Denton By-Election

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has publicly supported Angeliki Stogia, Labour’s newly selected candidate for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election scheduled for February 26. The vacancy arose following the resignation of long-serving MP Andrew Gwynne on January 22, after nearly two decades representing the area. Gwynne stepped down citing health reasons, amid ongoing scrutiny over leaked WhatsApp messages from the previous year.

Burnham’s Bid Blocked, Shifts to Full Support

Burnham, who had served as MP for Leigh until 2017, announced his interest in returning to Parliament by applying for the Labour nomination on January 24. However, Labour’s National Executive Committee rejected his candidacy the next day. Burnham voiced his frustration on social media but reaffirmed his commitment to his mayoral duties and promised to back whoever Labour chose.

True to his word, Burnham posted on X (formerly Twitter) on January 31 to welcome Stogia: “Big congrats Angeliki! I know you will do a great job. I will be there for you whenever you need me.”

Stogia’s Background and Vision

Originally from Greece, Stogia relocated to the UK in the 1990s to attend Manchester Metropolitan University, where she later became a British citizen. She has resided in Whalley Range since 2004 and has served as a Labour councillor for the ward since 2012.

During her announcement outside the Jain Community Centre in Longsight, Stogia addressed supporters, expressing enthusiasm: “I am absolutely thrilled and excited, and I want to thank everyone who came to the hustings. I am a proud Mancunian woman. I have walked the streets of this constituency. 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.”

She emphasized unity in the community, stating: “It’s very, very important to protect the division. We are a city united, and every vote in this election counts, so we’re going to go out and hear from the residents and get them all out. We are all united. You can see the energy today. We are going to win this.”

Other Parties Field Candidates

The Green Party, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have also confirmed their candidates for the Gorton and Denton contest, setting the stage for a competitive by-election focused on local issues and national politics.