Advance UK names Nick Buckley MBE as Gorton and Denton by election candidate

Advance UK has confirmed that Nick Buckley MBE will stand for the party at the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by election.

Raised on a council estate in south Manchester, Mr Buckley has spoken publicly in the past about the influence of his upbringing on his work. His professional career has included street based youth intervention, work in schools and long term engagement with families aimed at preventing involvement in crime at an early stage.

He has also spent around a decade working within Manchester City Council in roles linked to community safety, during which time he worked closely with Greater Manchester Police. His work included being based in police stations and supporting officer training on youth and community engagement.

Alongside youth work, Mr Buckley is known for projects addressing rough sleeping. He has been involved in programmes designed to move people off the streets and into accommodation, alongside employment schemes linked to construction and manual trades.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE for services to young people and disadvantaged communities. He has also received a number of regional awards, including the Pride of Gorton Award presented by Greater Manchester Police.

The party said the selection reflects its focus on candidates with practical experience outside party politics. Mr Buckley has worked for more than 20 years with young people at risk of criminal exploitation, knife crime and long-term social harm, much of it in neighbourhoods across Manchester facing persistent deprivation.

Advance UK leader Ben Habib said the party believed Mr Buckley’s background reflected its values and approach to public service. He said Mr Buckley had spent years working directly with social problems rather than commenting on them from a distance.

Speaking after his selection, Mr Buckley said he was standing because he believed communities had been let down by poor governance and weak accountability. He said his decision to stand was rooted in what he had seen through years of frontline work with crime, poverty and social breakdown.

Advance UK describes itself as a party focused on free speech, limited government, equal treatment under the law and democratic accountability. 

They become the sixth party to declare a candidate after Labour, Green Party, Reform UK, Liberal Democrats and Social Democratic Party.