Reform UK have unveiled GB News presenter and controversial academic Matt Goodwin as their candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.
Goodwin will run for Reform UK in the Greater Manchester seat which was vacated after its MP Andrew Gwynne resigned on health grounds.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Goodwin said he was “not part of the establishment” or the “Westminster blob.”
Goodwin is known for his anti-migrant views and inflammatory rhetoric, and his selection for the by-election has been widely condemned.
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Green leader Zack Polanski said Goodwin’s selection made the vote a “straight contest between hope and hate,” labelling Goodwin a man with a “track record of anti-Muslim bigotry.”
He said Reform’s decision to select Goodwin in a “community with a good history of community relations is an insult to the people of Gorton and Denton.”
He added: “It tells you everything you need to know that Reform are parachuting in this rent-an-extremist – this isn’t about representing the people of Gorton and Denton, it’s about using this place as a platform for their careers.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s Lucy Powell said Goodwin “represents the kind of politics that will drive a wedge between communities in Manchester.”
She said Reform “just offer division, animosity and hatred.”
And the Lib Dems’ Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart said Goodwin’s selection was proof that Reform “are a party built on a single foundation: division.”
They continued: “Like Nigel Farage, Goodwin has made a career out of talking our country down. He is a professional wind-up merchant, more interested in chasing headlines than putting an end to the cost of living crisis facing families.”
The other major parties have yet to announce their candidates for the by-election, which is expected to take place on February 26.
Following Labour’s controversial decision to block Andy Burnham from running as their candidate, many believe the seat is now a straight race between Reform UK and the Greens.
Some had wondered if Polanski himself would stand in the seat, however it seems that the party’s deputy leader Mothin Ali is instead being lined up to be the Green candidate.