Nigel Farage was charged with a Trump‑like refusal to accept the result by the Green Party’s freshly elected MP for Gorton and Denton, after he asserted that her Reform opponent had led among voters born in Britain in the recent by‑election.
Hannah Spencer, a plumber and local councillor, became the party’s inaugural MP from the north of England last week, securing 14,980 votes – a margin of over 4,400 on Reform’s runner‑up.
Following the poll, Reform lodged complaints of “family voting” – coordinated voting that breaches secret‑ballot regulations – with Greater Manchester police and the Electoral Commission.
Describing a fresh Reform proposal that would restrict parliamentary voting to British citizens, Farage said: “I am certain that among British‑born voters, Matthew Goodwin topped the poll last week. I have no doubt about that.”
Farage later attacked Green supporters, remarking: “It was ironic to hear the victorious Green candidate speak of hard‑working people after her win. I doubt any Green voter is employed, but that’s the reality.”
Spencer, who travelled to Westminster on Monday to assume her seat, charged Farage with disparaging voters in the Manchester area.
“All votes carry the same weight. Farage is spewing racist rhetoric today and mimicking his idol Donald Trump, who likewise refused to accept a defeat,” she said.
“Farage has no idea who backed Reform; the ballot is secret and he spent little time here. He demeaned my constituents by claiming Green voters are unemployed. We secured victory by reaching out to all, even Reform supporters, and his party was rejected.”
Georgie Laming, campaign director at the anti‑extremism group Hope Not Hate, said Farage possesses a “history of trying to subvert elections and the broader democratic system.”
“Much like his close ally Donald Trump, Farage has repeatedly challenged electoral losses, such as in Oldham (2015), Peterborough (2019) and Rochdale (2024).”
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think‑tank, argued that Farage was attempting to delegitimize legitimate voters, yet his figures were inconsistent. “The Greens would have prevailed among the four‑fifths of UK‑born voters – white and Asian alike – perhaps by 1,000 to 1,500 votes rather than 5,000,” he said.
Polls suggested Reform and the Greens each captured roughly a third of the white British vote, while Reform’s appeal was limited among under‑40s, students, graduates, renters and British‑born minorities, he noted.
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