Former police officer Charlotte Cadden selected as Conservative candidate for Gorton and Denton by election

Sunday, 1 February 2026 16:13

By Adam Clark

A former senior police officer with three decades of service has been chosen to contest the Gorton and Denton by election for the Conservative Party.

Charlotte Cadden has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the Gorton and Denton by election, bringing a long career in policing and community work into the campaign.

Ms Cadden served for 30 years as a police officer, working for both Greater Manchester Police and the Metropolitan Police Service. During her time with Greater Manchester Police she led a neighbourhood policing team, a role focused on local crime prevention, community engagement and public reassurance.

Alongside her policing career, Ms Cadden is a trustee of the charity Sex Matters and is a member of the LGB Alliance Business Forum. She also coordinates the Women’s Rights Network in Greater Manchester, which campaigns on issues relating to sex based rights and public policy.

Her background also includes involvement in local Conservative politics in Bolton, as well as serving as a school governor in the area. The party says her experience reflects a focus on public service, community safety and education.

Charlotte Cadden, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Gorton and Denton, said:

“Gorton and Denton has been let down for too long by Labour.

“From their record tax rises, ideological crusades, and failures to control our borders, residents in this constituency are facing the consequences – and that must end.

“I will fight to be a no-nonsense champion of this great constituency, and working to deliver on the priorities of local people.”

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party, added:

“Charlotte has been a fierce campaigner on grooming gangs and single-sex spaces and her campaign will give her the opportunity to stand up for vulnerable girls, plain and simple.

“For too long, people looked the other way when they should have acted. She’s saying what needs saying and she’ll stand up for victims, push for the truth, and make sure lessons are learned. That’s the sort of straight-talking leadership we need.”

The Conservatives become the seventh party to declare a candidate after Labour, Green Party, Reform UK, Liberal Democrats, Social Democratic Party and Advance UK.