The UK Green Party is gaining momentum, breaking the traditional Labour–Conservative dominance and exposing vulnerabilities in the current Labour government ahead of key elections.
UK Green Party breaks Labour and Conservative dominance in British politics
The UK Green Party has secured a significant victory in the late-February by-election in the Gorton and Denton constituency, in Greater Manchester. The result has disrupted the long-standing dominance of Labour and the Conservatives in British politics, with the Labour Party, now in government at Downing Street, finishing only third, also behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Green candidate Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, won 41% of the vote. Alongside economic and social concerns such as the rising cost of living and the decline of public services, the Labour government has also been affected by the Epstein case, which involved former ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, appointed by Keir Starmer in February 2025 and later dismissed. Following these revelations, critics have also called for Starmer’s resignation.
On 7 May 2026, millions of voters across the United Kingdom will head to the polls in what is expected to be the most significant electoral round since the 2024 general election. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments, while in England several local council and mayoral elections will take place.
Before Zack Polanski became party leader last September, the Greens in England and Wales had nearly 66,000 members. That figure has now risen to 215,000, and membership continues to grow rapidly. Will this surge be confirmed by the results in May? Could the Greens deliver a decisive blow to the current Labour government? We discussed this with Mitya Pearson, Assistant Professor in Politics of Climate Change at the University of Warwick.
