First Weekend of Makerfield Campaigning Begins
The first weekend of campaigning is set to get under way in Makerfield, in a by-election that Andy Burnham has said could “change Labour”. Burnham, who is viewed as a challenger to Sir Keir Starmer in a potential Labour leadership race, launched his by-election campaign on Friday and promised he was not offering “more of the same”. He faces Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon — a plumber who said he is “ready to take on the King of the North” in a reference to Burnham’s nickname — and Liberal Democrat Stockport councillor Jake Austin. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage joined Kenyon on the campaign trail earlier this week and described the by-election as a “David versus Goliath battle”.
Josh Simons, the Labour MP who stood down to make way for Burnham, won in 2024 by just 5,399 votes, while Reform comfortably won every ward in the constituency at this month’s local elections — Lib Dem candidate Jake Austin said voters in Makerfield “deserve so much more than the failing Labour Government or the divisive politics of Reform UK”. The by-election takes place on 18 June. Pollsters have signalled that having Burnham running will significantly boost Labour’s chances of retaining the seat — but it remains a tough contest. The Reform-vs-Burnham binary is the operational test of whether Labour’s “immigration success story” framing ( editorial) and the Mahmood migration tightening will check Reform UK’s advance into traditional Labour territory.