HANNAH Spencer is no stranger to Denton needing help to stop a vital commodity dripping away after working as a plumber in the town.
Now she is ready to help the Tameside limb of a hotly contested constituency become a key organ in a by-election victory for the Green Party.
The candidate regarded by many as the favourite to win visited Dane Bank’s Granada Park on Saturday, February 7 in the latest show of support ahead of the Gorton and Denton poll on Thursday, February 26.
Reform UK has made Denton a focal point of Matt Goodwin’s campaign – he was unveiled as its candidate there, his campaign headquarters are there and party leader Nigel Farage has been there twice.
Currently, the group faces a police investigation after a letter seemingly from ‘concerned neighbour’ Patricia Clegg, was sent to voters without an imprint saying who they have been funded and distributed by, as required by electoral law.
And Hannah told The Correspondent she feels Denton folk can use their spirit and their nous to play a huge part in the outcome, even though it is on the edge of the constituency.
She said: “I’ve worked here quite a bit and I used to live down the road in Levenshulme, so I know the issues that people really care about.
“People don’t feel like they have been listened to very much, by people who are possibly thinking of their own career ladder rather than what they can do to actually help and make lives better
“Denton is on a bit of a limb and that’s why a lot of people here do feel ignored and isolated. People feel like no-one’s ever really cared, paid any attention or looked after people.
“But Reform has showed why they’re wrong in trying to target this area.
“We’ve seen that so many people are just not impressed by them. They’re not buying whatever they’re selling.
“Every single one of us who’s a decent person, we sometimes make mistakes.
“But there’s a big difference between that and breaking the rules to further your own political gain. To dupe people into voting for something, because that’s what’s happened.
“There’s just this misunderstanding by the elite – which is what Reform are, they’re a party of millionaires, backed by billionaires.
“They just seem to think they can just speak for working class communities, often white working class communities, and assume everyone here is divided and turning against each other.
“I know from working here, I know from having lived just down the road, I know from the people I’ve met over the last few weeks that people really care about each other and the places they live.
“They want someone local who is going to work hard for them.
“I was selected by local members. I had to show the members here I was the right candidate and they backed me overwhelmingly.
“We’re a party that a lot of people have joined because we just want to make the communities we live in better.”
Hannah is one of 11 candidates standing in Gorton and Denton and they have a common enemy.
Not Reform UK, not Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats or even the Monster Raving Loony Party, but apathy.
Yet she hoped to change that as she added: “That is a huge issue.
“I know a lot of my friends have either never voted, or haven’t voted in a really long time, because I felt like that for a long time, where I felt what it feels like when no-one cares about you.
“We are seeing that now. People are tired of politicians who lie and protect their own interests, but people are really hopeful at seeing a party that is literally just powered by normal people who are just trying to do the right thing.
“Not everybody is going to agree with the things that I agree with. That’s life, that’s humans. We all disagree on some stuff and we can all do it in a really nice way.
“But what people really respect about us is that we absolutely graft. We put a shift in, we will do the hard work and we will work hard in Parliament for people to hear.”
Green Party leader Zack Polanski also addressed the crowd that gathered – more than organisers thought would turn up.
When Hannah was introduced, her name was chanted. Another thing she has had to get used to in recent weeks, along with practicing her strut through the corridors of Parliament.
She added: “It’s definitely strange. My life has changed a lot, but in the best possible way. It feels like an honour and a privilege to be able to do this.
“I’m still getting used to people cheering my name. It’s just all wild.
“My friends very much keep me grounded. People know I really care about politics, then a lot of my friends are a lot more disengaged.
“I’m really lucky that I have lots of different people who keep me grounded. And, of course, my beautiful greyhounds definitely keep my head in the real world.
“And I will practice my power stance and show people that change is coming, that working people are going to get a seat at the table.”