Matt Goodwin has declared that Reform UK “rejects sectarian politics” after his by-election defeat to the Greens.

The poll, which was overshadowed by a row over illegal family voting on Thursday night, saw Mr Goodwin take home 10,578 votes in Gorton and Denton.

After the result, the academic was asked by GB News what went wrong.

“Sectarianism. That’s what happened,” he said. “We more than doubled our vote. We’re in Labour’s backyard. We’re a second political force in this seat. We have planted a flag in northern England.”

“The reason the Greens have won here, let’s be honest, is exactly what that report was warning about a few hours ago,” he added.

“Family voting, otherwise known as sectarianism. Now we can have a conversation in this country about sectarianism and what it’s doing to our democracy, or we can pretend it’s not happening.

“It’s clearly happening.”

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