The battle lines have been drawn and the starting gun fired as Labour say they are ‘up for the fight’
20:36, 31 Jan 2026Updated 20:37, 31 Jan 2026
Angeliki Stogia (centre) is unveiled as Labour’s candidate(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Shortly after midday, the steady flow of people gathering in the large car park, just of the A6 in Longsight, became a flood. Amongst the rows of cars, was an ever-growing crowd of politicos, all waiting in anticipation.
They were stood outside the Jain Community Centre, off Stockport Road near Crowcroft Park, which was chosen as the venue for Labour’s announcement of their candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Following the drama of mayor Andy Burnham’s ultimately blocked bid to stand, they were the last major party to announce who they were fielding in the poll on Thursday, February 26.
Although the issue of Mr Burnham’s doomed candidacy silently loomed large, there were only two names on people’s lips. Eamonn O’Brien, the leader of Bury Council since 2020, and Angeliki Stogia., who has been a councillor for the Whalley Range ward of Manchester City Council since 2012.
After Mr Burnham was ruled out of the running, the shortlist was said to have been narrowed down to those two. Fellow councillors, party activists and supporters joined a large contingent for the media in attending the announcement on Saturday afternoon.
MPs, party supporters and activists as well as members of the media gathered for the announcement at the Jain Community Centre in Longsight(Image: PA)
The party’s former deputy leader, Ashton MP Angela Rayner, was seen making her way inside the community centre. Whilst a number of other MPs, including government chief whip Jonathan Reynolds, Rusholme MP Afzal Khan, Stockport MP Navendru Mishra and Rochdale MP Paul Waugh, were all spotted amongst the crowd.
Braving the chilly winds, they and their party’s supporters formed a semi-circle around the row of microphones where, we were told, the winning candidate would shortly be introduced. However there were chaotic scenes with the crowd having to temporarily break-up so a couple of people could move their cars from the car park.
Once everyone was back in the position, the stage was set. Initially, rumours began swirling among some of those present that it was Mr O’Brien who had got the nod. However, not long afterwards, those on the front row began holding up placards which had Ms Stogia’s name and the words ‘For Unity Not Division.’
Former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner was among the watching crowd(Image: PA)
And then came the confirmation. From the doors of the community centre and to the sound of whoops, cheers and applause emerged Ms Stogia, flanked by Labour’s Deputy Leader Lucy Powell, and party chair Anna Turley.
Ms Turley put her arm around Ms Stogia as she hailed the ‘amazing announcement’ and said she was ‘delighted to have our wonderful new candidate here today.’ However the celebratory tone soon became noticeably more serious as she set out ‘how important this fight is we have.’
After hailing her as a ‘local girl’ who had been ‘delivering for people in this area for a long time’, Ms Powell echoed Ms Turley’s sentiments.
In their press release, Labour attempted to draw the electoral battle lines, by describing the by-election a ‘s a straight fight between Labour and Reform.’ And after taking the microphone, Ms Powell hit out at Mr Farage’s party, who last week announced former academic and now writer and GB News presenter, Matt Goodwin, as their candidate.
Ms Stogia said she was a ‘proud Mancunian woman'(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
“This is going to be a big by-election here” Ms Powell said. “We have got Reform on our doorsteps thinking they can come into Manchester and Denton, and bring their divisive politics here. And we say, absolutely not, we don’t want that.
“What I would say to people is, if you don’t want a Reform MP in this area, you have to vote Labour in this election. It’s only Labour that can win in this area. We’ve got all the councillors, we’re really strong on the ground, we’ve got a lot of support, and we have been delivering for people here in Manchester.”
“Please, just come with us on this by-election, let’s keep Reform at the door and let’s get behind Angeliki Stogia as the Labour candidate, and win this by-election for Labour” she added.
Originally from Arta, in Greece, Ms Stogia moved to the UK in the 90s to study European Studies and Languages at Manchester Metropolitan University and later became a naturalised British citizen. She settled in Whalley Range in 2004 and has lived there ever since.
Labour Deputy Leader Lucy Powell hit at out Reform’s ‘divisive politics’ as she spoke at Ms Stogia unveiling(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
During her time on Manchester City Council, she hasserved as the local authority’s lead member for Transport and Environment. Ms Stogia was a prominent voice in debates over active travel and road space during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the temporary pedestrianisation of parts of Deansgate.
Beyond local government, Ms Stogia, previously stood for Labour as a North West candidate in the 2014 European elections. She was also selected as the Labour Party candidate for the Chester South and Eddisbury constituency at the 2024 general election, where she came second with 32.1 per cent of the votes.
In a brief address to the crowd, Ms Stogia said: “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. “
Party supporters then hit the streets afterwards for canvassing(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Speaking to the M.E.N afterwards, she said: “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 we’re going to 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.”
She also said she believed the fight was a local, rather than a national, one as she also took aim at Reform. “It is very, very important as this election is going to be played out by Nigel Farage on the national side” she said.
“But what really matters, and and what Reform forgets, is that this is about the people of Gorton and Denton, and their daily lives. And they are many steps removed from understanding what is going on in Manchester.”
Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig, who has known Ms Stogia for over a decade, told the M.E.N she was ‘really pleased to have a Manchester Labour councillor standing as the candidate.’ and although ‘by-elections are always difficult’ she said that ‘we are up for the fight.’
Ms Powell told the gathered activists that the party had already knocked on thousands of doors and that it had been ‘really positive on the doorstep so far’ as she encouraged them to ‘go and speak to thousands more constituents today.’ They then broke off into teams as she headed off into the surrounding streets clutching clipboards to go canvassing.
However they weren’t the only ones. Mr Goodwin shared images on social media of him in front of a Reform-branded open-top bus and ‘just one of our many canvassing crews out today’ as he vowed to ‘make history.’
Whilst Green Party leader Zack Polanksi and their candidate Hannah Spencer posed for pictures with hundreds of volunteers they said had been ‘hitting the streets.’ ” “Only the Greens can stop Reform in this by-election” the party said.
This by-election battle is truly underway.