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A by-election in northern England that should have been routine for the governing Labour Party is instead becoming a test of how fragmented British politics has become.

Voters in the Gorton and Denton constituency of Greater Manchester are set to cast ballots on February 26 after long-serving MP Andrew Gwynne resigned in January.

Eleven candidates are vying for the seat: Sir Oink A-Lot (Official Monster Raving Loony Party); Nick Buckley (Advance UK); Charlotte Cadden (Conservative Party); Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party); Matt Goodwin (Reform UK); Sebastian Moore (Social Democratic Party); Joseph O’Meachair (Rejoin EU Party); Jackie Pearcey (Liberal Democrats); Hannah Spencer (Green Party); Angeliki Stogia (Labour Party); and Hugo Wills (Communist League).

For years, Gorton and Denton was considered a Labour stronghold, but now the party faces a battle amid growing voter dissatisfaction and internal friction.

The lead-up to the vote has been dominated by a high-profile dispute over the selection of Labour’s new candidate after a bid by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to stand as the candidate was blocked, with the party’s leadership choosing Stogia, a local councillor, to defend the seat.

Still, Labour commands loyal support. “[They do a] very good job and we support them,” Khaled Osman, a local supporter, told Al Jazeera. “We appreciate everything they do: the support for refugees, for asylum, and for the people who work hard.”

Not everyone, however, in this diverse and relatively deprived constituency feels that way.

“The sooner Labour’s out of power, the better,” said resident Colin Hensey, pointing to the decline of local services. “Wherever you go, you’re trying to get a doctor’s appointment now. And yet, this is why everybody is going off to the A&E [accident and emergency] because they can’t get local appointments at the surgery. We never had this problem 20, 30 years ago.”

On Labour’s left flank, the Green Party is positioning itself as an alternative, arguing that the governing party has moved away from some the values it once championed.

The far-right Reform UK is also vying for a victory, presenting itself as the anti-system voice – tough on immigration and crime, and openly hostile to what it calls a broken political class.

“I think Labour’s let us down for years,” said Carl Morris, a Reform supporter. “I’ve worked in Denton for 28 years now, and the place is just full of rubbish. People are dumping stuff all over the show. Labour’s done nothing for this town.”

Reporting from Gorton and Denton, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego said every single vote will count in the seemingly tight contest later this month.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of committing an environmental crime after Israeli forces sprayed an unknown substance over southern Lebanese towns, which Beirut described as toxic.

Aoun condemned the Israeli move on Wednesday, saying he ordered government agencies to take all diplomatic and legal measures to “respond to this aggression”, which he said represents a “blatant violation” of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

“This is an environmental and health crime against Lebanese citizens and their land,” Aoun was quoted as saying by Lebanon’s National News Agency.

He added that the incident is a “continuation of repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon and its people”.

Since Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, Israel has been attacking Lebanon almost daily in breach of the deal.

“These dangerous practices that target agricultural lands and the livelihoods of citizens and threaten their health and environment require the international community and relevant United Nations organisations to assume their responsibilities to stop these attacks,” Aoun said.

UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, had said they were informed on Monday by the Israeli military that it would spray a “non-toxic chemical substance” from the air over areas near the border.

“The [Israeli military] said that peacekeepers should stay away and remain under cover, forcing them to cancel over a dozen activities,” UNIFIL said.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Tuesday that UNIFIL suspended its operations for nine hours due to the attack, and the force later worked with the Lebanese army to collect samples of the sprayed substance to be tested for toxicity.

The exact nature of the chemical remains unclear.

“Any activity that may put peacekeepers and civilians at risk is of serious concern,” Dujarric had said on Monday. “We reiterate our call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701.”

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, remains the basis of the ceasefire in south Lebanon.

Israel continues to occupy five points within Lebanese territory as it blocks the reconstruction of several border villages that it levelled to the ground, preventing tens of thousands of displaced people from returning to their homes.

The Lebanese government has been pushing to stem Israeli violations through diplomacy to no avail.

In January, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a complaint to the UN, documenting 2,036 Israeli breaches of the ceasefire in the final three months of 2025.

At the same time, last year, Beirut issued a decree to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-allied group has called a “grave” mistake.

The Lebanese party argues that its armed wing is necessary to stop Israel’s expansionism.

Still, Hezbollah, which has been weakened by the 2024 Israeli assault that killed the group’s top leaders, has not responded militarily to the repeated Israeli attacks.

While refusing to give up its weapons, Hezbollah has tacitly agreed to disarmament south of the Litani River by the Israeli border in accordance with UN Resolution 1701. Last month, the Lebanese government said it completed removing Hezbollah’s weapons in that area.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of committing an environmental crime after Israeli forces sprayed an unknown substance over southern Lebanese towns, which Beirut described as toxic.

Aoun condemned the Israeli move on Wednesday, saying he ordered government agencies to take all diplomatic and legal measures to “respond to this aggression”, which he said represents a “blatant violation” of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

“This is an environmental and health crime against Lebanese citizens and their land,” Aoun was quoted as saying by Lebanon’s National News Agency.

He added that the incident is a “continuation of repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon and its people”.

Since Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, Israel has been attacking Lebanon almost daily in breach of the deal.

“These dangerous practices that target agricultural lands and the livelihoods of citizens and threaten their health and environment require the international community and relevant United Nations organisations to assume their responsibilities to stop these attacks,” Aoun said.

UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, had said they were informed on Monday by the Israeli military that it would spray a “non-toxic chemical substance” from the air over areas near the border.

“The [Israeli military] said that peacekeepers should stay away and remain under cover, forcing them to cancel over a dozen activities,” UNIFIL said.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Tuesday that UNIFIL suspended its operations for nine hours due to the attack, and the force later worked with the Lebanese army to collect samples of the sprayed substance to be tested for toxicity.

The exact nature of the chemical remains unclear.

“Any activity that may put peacekeepers and civilians at risk is of serious concern,” Dujarric had said on Monday. “We reiterate our call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701.”

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, remains the basis of the ceasefire in south Lebanon.

Israel continues to occupy five points within Lebanese territory as it blocks the reconstruction of several border villages that it levelled to the ground, preventing tens of thousands of displaced people from returning to their homes.

The Lebanese government has been pushing to stem Israeli violations through diplomacy to no avail.

In January, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a complaint to the UN, documenting 2,036 Israeli breaches of the ceasefire in the final three months of 2025.

At the same time, last year, Beirut issued a decree to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-allied group has called a “grave” mistake.

The Lebanese party argues that its armed wing is necessary to stop Israel’s expansionism.

Still, Hezbollah, which has been weakened by the 2024 Israeli assault that killed the group’s top leaders, has not responded militarily to the repeated Israeli attacks.

While refusing to give up its weapons, Hezbollah has tacitly agreed to disarmament south of the Litani River by the Israeli border in accordance with UN Resolution 1701. Last month, the Lebanese government said it completed removing Hezbollah’s weapons in that area.