Yesterday’s by-election result in Gorton and Denton was a victory for hope and compassion. 

Voters were offered a stark choice between a campaign that fed on grievance and division and one that offered shared solutions to injustice and unity. In the end, the more hopeful vision won.

At Compassion in Politics we are proudly non-partisan. Our supporters and the politicians we work with come from across the political spectrum. We do not campaign for parties or candidates. What we care about is the health of our democracy and the values that shape it.

So this isn’t about celebrating one party or criticising another. It’s about acknowledging that a vision of inclusion, care and compassion secured electoral victory.

Too often of late we have seen the politics of hate setting the agenda.  Last night’s victory sends a clear message to leaders of all parties. Compassion, understood not as softness, but as a commitment to meet people’s real needs with care and justice can win elections. It shows that unity is not a naïve aspiration, but a political possibility.

Compassion in Politics’ own polling with Survation and 38 Degrees conducted in December found that there was a progressive majority in this country who would vote to defeat the politics of hate. Yesterday's result proved that polling was right. 

You can check out the polling here.

Our work continues across party lines to embed compassion in public life. Moments like this remind us that the ground for a politics of love and hope is more fertile than it sometimes appears.

With hope,

Jennifer