Speech of the Month, February 2026 - Hannah Spencer

After the Gorton and Denton by-election result came in, I found myself wondering what would dominate the news agenda next. A return to Wes Streeting manoeuvring to oust 'Never Here Keir,' I thought. And then Trump went and bombed Iran.

Anyway, back to Gorton and Denton — which wasn't a three-horse race after all. The Greens' Hannah Spencer won the seat comfortably. Will we see the same at the general? Will Labour voters who went Green, or who didn't bother to vote, be prepared to swallow no border control in exchange for super-taxing the super-rich? We'll see. What we do know is that Hannah Spencer is a remarkable politician, and her victory speech garnered more media attention than any other UK speech this year.

If you didn't catch it, have a watch now.

Here's why it landed so well…

Her Ethos Appeal punched through from the start

Ethos appeal is about stating who you are and what you've done — setting out your stall, letting the audience know why they should listen to you, and doing it in your own words so you sound… I'll say it… authentic. Doing this quickly and economically is an art, and Spencer perfects it in her opening lines: "I never wanted to be a politician. I'm a plumber. And two weeks ago, during all this, I also qualified as a plasterer. Because even in chaos. Even under pressure, I get things done."

For a country that feels it hasn't seen meaningful change in decades, a politician who can present tangible evidence of getting things done offers genuine hope. This isn't some legacy politician’s son completing an MBA while being parachuted into a safe seat — this is someone doing real, manual work. That's refreshing.

She posed a key rhetorical question

"Working hard: where does that get you?" The question resonated because it came from someone who sounds as though she genuinely understands the financial cosh many people have been living under for years. Spencer's Bolton accent was an asset here.

Personally, I was both impressed and a little deflated to learn she's built a property portfolio worth £1.5 million. Impressed because — fair play to her — she hasn't come from privilege and she's made it happen. Deflated because her hard work has, in fact, paid off rather handsomely. She can afford designer clothes and holidays, which takes some of the bite out of that "Working hard: where does that get you?" line.

She has the Pretty Privilege

One advantage she clearly has is the one politely known as Pretty. Has no one told her that politics is show bizz for ugly people? There's not much to analyse here — you're either easy on the eye or you're not, and if you are, the halo effect does its work. Lucky her.

It's also refreshing to see someone who doesn't feel obliged to wear the 'serious-female-politician-uniform'. Though I'll confess, I was itching to flip that pink shirt collar out over her green waistcoat. My styling instincts may well be considered cringe, though.

A clever apology that doubled as an ethos callback

Near the end of her speech, Spencer apologised to her customers — the boilers she wouldn't be servicing, the pipes she wouldn't be unblocking — because she had to get herself to Westminster to fight for the people of Gorton and Denton. It was a charming touch (and, as anyone who's ever waited in for a tradesperson knows, a rare one), but it was also smart structurally: a callback that reminded us exactly who she is and what she does. A person who gets things done.

Where she could have gone further

She'd have benefited from lifting her eyes off the page more — really taking in the room and connecting with the crowd in front of her.

And a good drink of water beforehand wouldn't have gone amiss. Nerves clearly kicked in and she was battling dry mouth throughout. There's not much you can do about that once it starts, but staying well-hydrated and switching to nose-breathing rather than mouth-breathing — which she was doing — can help manage it.

If you'd like to set your presentation stall out more powerfully or connect with your audience better, then get in touch.