Who is Hannah Spencer? Meet the Green Party's newest MP after Gorton and Denton by-election - including age & plumbing job
Hannah Spencer has made history by becoming the first Green Party candidate to win in a parliamentary by-election after she claimed the Gorton and Denton seat.
Ms Spencer earned 40.6% of the vote with 14,980 constituents in the Greater Manchester seat choosing the Green Party candidate as their next MP.
She defeated Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin, who placed second with 10,578 votes, and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia who placed third with 9,364 votes.
After her victory was confirmed, she said in her speech: “Working hard used to get you something. It got you a house, a nice life, holidays, it got you somewhere.
“But now working hard, what does that get you? Because talk to anyone here and they will tell you, the people work hard but can’t put food on the table, can’t get their kids school uniforms, can’t put their heating on, can’t live off the pension they worked hard to save for, can’t even begin to dream about ever having a holiday, ever.
“Because life has changed. Instead of working for a nice life, we’re working to line the pockets of billionaires. We are being bled dry.
“And I don’t think it’s extreme or radical to think working hard should get you a nice life. And I don’t think that if you’re not able to work that you should still have a nice life. I think that absolutely everybody should get a nice life.”
Who is Hannah Spencer?
Hannah Spencer is a 34-year-old plumber who was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester. She left school at 16 having not completed sixth form studies, and became a plumber in 2008.
She earned her National Vocational Qualification (NVC) for plumbing at Bolton College. Spencer later completed an NVQ after undergoing an apprenticeship as a gas engineer. In February 2026, she also revealed that she had also completed training as a plasterer and was the only woman on her course.
She established her own business called Hannah’s Household Plumbing in 2015 after taking part in a Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme.
Spencer, who previously lived in Levenshulme in Gorton and Denton, joined the Green Party in 2022. She was elected as a councillor for the Hale ward on Trafford Council in the 2023 election, and later rans as the Green Party Manchester mayoral candidate in 2024 earing 45,905 votes. She succeeded Michael Welton as Green Party leader on Trafford Council in May 2025.
The Green Party selected for plumber as their candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election in January.
Is Hannah Spencer married?
Following false claims that Spencer was married to the chief executive of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, Spencer confirmed that she was not married.
Speaking about the claims, the newly-elected MP said previously: "One of the things that has surprised me most is how many lies have been spreading about me, whether that's because I'm apparently married to the chief executive of AstraZeneca - spoiler alert, I'm not - or the fact I'm apparently not a plumber.”