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Historic by-election win indicates Green Party could win over a hundred seats at next General Election

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The Greens are on track to win over a hundred seats at the next general election, if the historic swing achieved to win Gorton and Denton is replicated nationwide.

MP Hannah Spencer, Gorton & Denton February 2026

Local candidate Hannah Spencer delivered a stunning by-election victory that more than tripled the party’s vote.

In 2024 the Green Party secured just 13.2% of the vote in Gorton and Denton – one of Labour’s safest seats – but Hannah Spencer has achieved 40.7% of the vote, 14,980 votes, with a swing of 27.5%.

New Green Party MP Hannah Spencer said: “I’m grateful, and thrilled, that the people of Gorton and Denton chose hope over hate and elected me as their new Green Party MP. 

“This is the beginning of something massive.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “If we see a swing like this at the next general election, there will be a tidal wave of new Green MPs. When I was elected Leader of the Greens I said we were here to replace Labour and I meant it. Hannah was a fantastic candidate and I know she’ll make a brilliant MP.”

Hannah Spencer MP added: “I’m proud to have run a positive, inclusive campaign focused on the issues that matter most to local people: bringing down the cost of rent and bills, protecting the NHS, properly funding our public services, and ending Britain’s complicity in genocide. 

“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me. They know they can trust me and the Green Party to deliver on our promises.

“I also want to thank the thousands of volunteers who gave their time, skills and energy to help us reach as many voters as possible with our message.

“The Greens are the only party with a real plan to improve everyday life for the people in Gorton and Denton and across the country.”

Zack Polanski added: “This used to be one of Labour’s safest seats. In this by-election almost half of their 2024 voters abandoned them and many switched to voting Green, meaning they finished 3rd. The Green Party saw a record-breaking swing in our direction and more than tripled our vote. 

“Labour fought a shameful, dirty campaign – spreading lies about Green policies and even faking a tactical voting website. They knew they couldn’t win, but they risked splitting the vote and letting Reform in.

“People everywhere will now know that voting Green is the way to defeat Reform. Many ex-Labour voters told our canvassers that they will never go back to a party that supports genocide, fuels racism, and has failed to deliver on its promise to improve life for people across the country.”

Continue ReadingHistoric by-election win indicates Green Party could win over a hundred seats at next General Election

Privacy for your ‘guests’: Mandelson’s email to Epstein recommending exclusive villa

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Original article by Simon Lock republished from TBIJ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Image of Jeffrey Epstein, Peter Mandelson and a waiter

Redacted email deciphered by TBIJ shows former politician suggesting holiday home for convicted sex offender

Peter Mandelson emailed Jeffrey Epstein after his release from house arrest to recommend a holiday home where the financier could host his “guests”.

Mandelson said he had found a villa in Italy that Epstein could use, offering “privacy with accompanying rooms for your ‘guests’” – with quote marks around the word guests.

It is not clear who this was in reference to. Epstein’s connections among the global elite included bankers, royals and Middle Eastern sheikhs.

The email was published this week by the US government as part of the Epstein Files cache. Its sender has been redacted but we were able to identify it as coming from Mandelson.

A spokesperson for Mandelson said: “Lord Mandelson regrets, and will regret until to his dying day, that he believed Epstein’s lies about his criminality. Lord Mandelson did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death in 2019. He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved.”

The email chain is from August 2010, a month after Epstein had been released from house arrest following his conviction for child sex offences.

In the message in question, Mandelson tells Epstein that he is due to arrive back in London from “Myk”, shorthand for the Greek island of Mykonos, at the end of August. He goes on to say: “Found you a great place to stay on the Amalfi coast near to Positano. Zeferelli home converted into beautiful suites and privacy with accompanying rooms for your ‘guests’.”

While the identity of the sender is blacked out in the published file, other emails from the same period confirm that Mandelson travelled at that time to Mykonos, which he also referred to as “Myk” in separate emails. The email in question was sent from a Blackberry, Mandelson’s favoured method of communication at the time.

The redaction in the files leaves some parts of the email address visible, and we were able to match it with an address used by Mandelson (see video below).

The conversation with Epstein took place during a period of frequent contact between the pair following Mandelson’s exit from frontline politics after Labour’s election defeat.

The men discussed job opportunities for Mandelson, including with mining giant Glencore, investment banks Lazard and Deutsche Bank, and his own advisory firm, Global Counsel.

The house Mandelson refers to in the email appears to be Villa Treville, an exclusive 16-suite luxury hotel located on a clifftop overlooking the Gulf of Salerno.

There is no evidence that Epstein ever visited the villa.

Villa Treville as it appears today

Lead image: Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein pictured together. Credit: Department of Justice / ZUMA Press Wire / Shutterstock

Reporter: Simon Lock
Enablers editor: Eleanor Rose
Deputy editor: Katie Mark
Editor: Franz Wild
Production editor: Alex Hess

TBIJ has a number of funders, a full list of which can be found here. None of our funders have any influence over editorial decisions or output.

Original article by Simon Lock republished from TBIJ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts a business roundtable
Keir Starmer(R) and his boss Peter Mandelson(L).

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts a business roundtable
Two Labour Party total s***s, David Lammy and Peter Mandelson.

CONFIDENTIAL – STRICTLY NOT FOR PUBLICATION: Ipso has asked us to circulate the following advisory:

Ipso has today been contacted by a representative acting on behalf of Peter Mandelson.

Mr Mandelson’s representatives state that he does not wish to speak to the media at this time. He requests that the press do not take photos or film, approach, or contact him via phone, email, or in-person. His representatives ask that any requests for his comment are directed to [REDACTED]

We are happy to make editors aware of his request. We note the terms of Clause 2 (Privacy) and 3 (Harassment) of the Editors’ Code, and in particular that Clause 3 states that journalists must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist, unless justified in the public interest.

Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss any Code issues on [REDACTED] or out of hours on [REDACTED].

[IPSO official]

13.15pm Don’t know why this was not displaying properly.

Continue ReadingPrivacy for your ‘guests’: Mandelson’s email to Epstein recommending exclusive villa

Starmer’s whole team follow Mandelson’s grubby example of taking favours from the rich

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-whole-team-follow-mandelsons-grubby-example-taking-favours-rich

 Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) and then British ambassador to the United States Lord Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC, February 27, 2025

The PM says Mandelson ‘betrayed our values’ – but ministers and advisers flock to line their pockets with corporate cash, says SOLOMON HUGHES

WES STREETING says Peter Mandelson “fundamentally betrayed our values.” But Mandelson helped write the values of New Labour, which Streeting and Starmer and their whole team are following.

Peter Mandelson denies wrongdoing, but the emails between him and Jeffrey Epstein look like sleazy corruption. It’s no surprise Streeting and Starmer want to put distance between him and them.

But Mandelson’s career follows the “New Labour” method he helped design: taking the side of the rich and big corporations, especially around low tax, deregulation and privatisation.

Taking favours from the rich while in office. Taking lucrative jobs working from the corporations they favoured in government when they leave office.

Squashing the Labour left who might try and stop the party being used as a launchpad for these post-ministerial corporate careers.

…

This became a basic “New Labour” pattern: when ministers stood down, many joined the private corporations they helped while in power, with ex-ministers taking jobs with privatised water companies, private security firms like G4S, arms firms and so on.

These post-ministerial careers often pay much more than actually being a minister, so Labour MPs have an incentive to push pro-business policies, even if they are wildly unpopular: Labour might haemorrhage enough working-class support to lose elections, but the ministers end up earning more in the long term.

Starmer’s government brought Mandelson back and bought into all his “New Labour” values. Even though the government is still quite new, we can already see signs that Starmer’s team will also leave government for corporate jobs, just like Mandelson.

Labour rehired one of the key Labour ministers who did this back in the day. Wes Streeting employs Alan Milburn as an adviser.

…

The article is detailed and recommended. See the original article at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-whole-team-follow-mandelsons-grubby-example-taking-favours-rich

Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership is intensely relaxed about assaulting those least able to defend themselves - the very poorest and most vulnerable.
Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership is intensely relaxed about assaulting those least able to defend themselves – the very poorest and most vulnerable.
Keir Starmer explains that he feels no shame or guilt benefitting personally from gifts from the rich and powerful while insisting on policies of severe austerity causing suffering and death.
Keir Starmer explains that he feels no shame or guilt benefitting personally from gifts from the rich and powerful while insisting on policies of severe austerity causing suffering and death.
Keir Starmer commits to play the caretaker role for Capitalism through the "hard times".
Keir Starmer commits to play the caretaker role for Capitalism through the “hard times”.
Continue ReadingStarmer’s whole team follow Mandelson’s grubby example of taking favours from the rich

Zarah Sultana endorses Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate at the Gorton & Denton by-election.

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Zarah Sultana at Forwards Festival 2025
Zarah Sultana at Forwards Festival 2025

This blog also endorses Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate at the Gorton & Denton by-election.

Continue ReadingZarah Sultana endorses Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate at the Gorton & Denton by-election.