What we learned from BBC Gorton and Denton debate

Five candidates contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election have come face to face in a BBC debate.

More than 76,000 potential voters are spread across Denton in Tameside, and Gorton, Levenshulme and Burnage in Manchester.

Political pundits predict a three horse race between Labour, Green and Reform.

One of the main items on the agenda for the debate was the economy.

Manchester has performed twice as well as the UK as a whole over the last decade, with 3.1% sustained growth over 10 years.

But all candidates agreed that places like Gorton have have yet to fully benefit, and that parts of the constituency risked being left behind.

They all said the cost of living was coming up a lot on the doorstep.

Angeliki Stogia, the Labour candidate, said: "From 1 April the minimum wage will increase, which will benefit thousands of workers across Greater Manchester, and free breakfast clubs for children [mean] working families will be up to £450 better off."

However, Conservative Charlotte Cadden countered that Labour's increase in employer National Insurance had cost jobs and growth, arguing that more needed to be done to attract businesses into the constituency.

Hannah Spencer, from the Green Party, said: "There is so much we could do to lower our bills by bringing energy back into public hands so we're not spending our our wages paying off shareholders who live offshore."

Matt Goodwin, from Reform UK, said: "Lots of people don't feel they have been part of the Manchester boom. We would lower taxes for small businesses to promote jobs and growth."

The Liberal Democrats' Jackie Pearcey said: "Nobody should have to choose between eating and their utility bills.

"We need to repair the economic damage caused by Brexit and rebuild our trading relationship with Europe."

Immigration has been a key topic during the campaign, with both the Tories and Reform expressing concern about migrant numbers, and Labour and the Greens accusing Reform of stoking division.

Reform's Goodwin said: "We don't have secure borders. We have thousands engtering Britain illegally, yet we seem to be more interested in rewarding people who do not play by the rules."

The Conservatives' Cadden said: "Illegal immigration is a big issue on the doorsteps. Older people are frightened to to go out and mothers fear for their daughters' safety from illegal immigrants loitering on the street.

"We had a plan which other countries are now following."

Stogia, from Labour, said: "Manchester was built by immigrants who lived together. Reform spread divisive rhetoric about immigration... it's very very harmful for our city.

"I understand concerns but we need a debate based on facts, which looks at what skills do we have and what skills do we need."

Lib Dem Pearcey said: "We lost control of our borders after Brexit.

"Before it, we could actually send people back to France. What we need to do is to invest in more people to assess each asylum claim and quickly remove those who have no right, and allow those who do to start working and contributing to this country."

Green Spencer said: "I'm angry that we have system that is costing £6m a day to put people in hotels. It's unfair for kids who can't get onto the housing ladder, and it's unfair on the people who have come here to work and have skills we need.

"Reform are scaring people."

A shortage of decent affordable rented housing was also on the agenda.

"We need the right homes on brownfield sites in the right places, [to] consult with local residents, and for the right price."

Lib Dem Pearcey said: "There has been a big problem in recent years with a lot of houses bought up by buy-to-let, cash-rich investors from the South-East.

"It sees people on six-month tenancies and this causes a terrible churn in local schools."

Goodwin, from Reform, said: "You cannot have open borders with affordable and available housing. A lot of housing is going to migrants who have broken the law."

Labour's Stogia said: "In the last four years, Manchester City Council has delivered 900 homes - 600 of them affordable. This is Labour delivering in the constituency."

Conservative Cadden added: "Building a lot of houses very quickly is very difficult... we need to build on brownfield sites, which local people agree on."