Reform UK candidate Matthew Goodwin, standing in the Gorton and Denton by‑election in south‑east Manchester, has refused to retract remarks that UK‑born people from minority ethnic backgrounds are not automatically British. The hard‑right activist, who was unveiled by the party on Tuesday, said “it takes more than a piece of paper to make somebody ‘British’.” When asked by the Guardian whether he still held that view, Goodwin declined to answer, sparking accusations from the Liberal Democrats that his comments were racist and abhorrent. Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell warned that his politics would drive a wedge between communities in Manchester, while Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the candidacy as an insult to constituents and linked it to a broader clash between Reform and the Greens. The by‑election follows the defection of former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman to Reform UK and could see the party overturn Labour’s 13,000‑vote majority to secure its ninth seat in Parliament. Goodwin’s stance and the ensuing controversy highlight rising tensions over national identity and minority representation in the United Kingdom.

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