Matt Goodwin ducked out of the hustings at the last minute
Reform’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election has been accused of “running scared” after he skipped a debate with fellow candidates last night.
A group called Local Voices arranged the hustings at Gorton Methodist Church, which Reform’s candidate Matt Goodwin pulled out of shortly before.
Around an hour before the event yesterday, Goodwin said in a statement that he would not be attending due to “serious concerns about the impartiality of the hustings”.
He added: “Previous statements by the organising group give the clear impression that a fair and level platform will not be provided for all candidates, so on that basis I will not be attending.”
Goodwin did not disclose which “previous statements” he was referring to.
The Reform candidate said he looked forward to taking part in hustings “in genuinely neutral settings”, and confirmed he would attend upcoming Manchester Evening News and BBC debates.
On its Instagram page, Local Voices describes itself as “a collective of neighbours from across Gorton & Denton who are unaffiliated with any political party”.
The advert for the event emphasised that it was “for local residents only”.
However, reports from the hustings suggest that Reform may have tried to pack the room with Reform supporters who were not local residents.
One person said “organisers spent hours answering emails from Reform supporters instructed to attend from all over Greater Manchester”.
In response, Andrew Western MP, Labour’s political lead on the campaign, told The Mirror: “Matthew Goodwin’s dramatic last minute withdrawal from last night’s hustings just shows what we already know. He is a snowflake.
“Someone attempting to pack the room with Reform supporters from outside the constituency, against the organisers wishes and demanding a private green room is not interested in listening to the people of Gorton and Denton, only in himself.”
Zack Polanski wrote on X: “Reform politicians are happy to throw insults from a distance.
“But when it comes to debating their ideas? No show.
“Richard Tice pulled out. Farage won’t face me. Now their candidate in Gorton & Denton has ducked our candidate Hannah Spencer. Vote Green.”
Local Voices has been contacted for comment.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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