Jackie Pearcey - LibDem Candidate in Denton and Gorton

by Simon Robinson, 03 Feb 2026

The LibDems have announced their candidate in Denton and Gorton: Local campaigner Jackie Pearcey: According to the LibDem’s Press release:

Local Campaigner Jackie Pearcey has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Gorton and Denton in the upcoming by-election, pledging to champion local issues that matter most to residents, including fixing the NHS and tackling the cost of living.

Jackie has lived locally for decades and has a strong track record of standing up for and serving the community. She is determined to bring real change for the residents of Gorton and Denton who deserve so much better than this endless soap opera.

That seems pretty standard blurb for a candidate. It’s good they have chosen someone local to the area, although realistically this is probably a paper candidate for us.

And the Tory Candidate...

Meanwhile the Tories (also an almost certain paper candidate) have picked former police officer Charlotte Cadden. The thing that caught my eye was her statement reported by the BBC. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn40kmrkk9xo)

Cadden said: "I know we're starting off from a very small base of Conservative voters from the last election but we've got our own policies – we need to get mobiles phones out of schools, we need to get rid of the carbon tax.”

Get rid of the carbon tax as a priority? My immediate reaction is, thanks for reminding me why the Conservatives are so unelectable. As a reminder, taxes are good because they enable a civilized society, and taxes that actually discourage people from doing harmful things are a win-win. I guess that’s another Tory who hasn’t yet got the memo about climate change and carbon emissions actually being something of a problem for humanity.

And getting mobile phone out of schools – I actually have sympathy with that, but it seems bizarre to quote it as one of your two big priorities at a time when we’re dealing with the cost of living crisis, the threat to democratic freedoms from Russian and authoritarian regimes, the strange behaviour of Trump, and all the other crises facing the UK.