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Hi John,
I’ll be honest: I’m angry.
Not just worried, but angered about what Reform UK are doing in Gorton & Denton.
Once again, a by-election becomes a stage for division. They parachute in a divisive candidate, exploit the media circus, tear at the fabric of communities and then leave again. The cameras move on and local people are left to deal with the damage. But this time it feels particularly dangerous. Because, their candidate, Matthew Goodwin isn’t just any Reform candidate. He was once a serious academic who studied far-right extremism. He wrote about the BNP. He sat on a government working group on anti-Muslim hatred. He publicly warned about Islamaphobia, and even tussled with Tommy Robinson in a live TV debate. Those credentials are exactly why Reform chose him. Goodwin can take BNP-level rhetoric and dress it up as “research”. He makes ugly ideas sound respectable. He gives extremism an academic veneer. And he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows which fears to stoke, which scapegoats to choose, which flashpoints to inflame. He knows the language that turns neighbour against neighbour and he stands stoically indifferent to the harm, claiming he’s just “telling hard truths”. That’s what makes this by-election different, and more dangerous. When Goodwin is done with his moment in the spotlight, the people of Gorton & Denton will be left to pick up the pieces. John, that’s why we’re making stopping Gorton & Denton a priority. We’ll be on the ground supporting local people, scrutinising Goodwin, and exposing what his candidacy really represents. With the election called for late February, we have little time to waste. Election spending rules limit what we can spend directly in the constituency. That means our work will focus on local organising to make sure people feel prepared and ready for what’s to come. But here’s the bigger picture. If Reform win here, it will signal that they’re still on the ascent and stronger than ever. They’ll use that momentum to tear through more communities in 2026, at by-elections and in May’s elections across the UK. A high-profile victory in Greater Manchester becomes rocket fuel for everything they do next.
We have to be ready to challenge them everywhere.
That’s why your donation today matters so much. It helps us:
Support local organisers in Gorton & Denton Build our rapid response capacity for by-elections. Aid our long-term community organising for May’s elections Ensure Reform don’t get a free run anywhere in 2026
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