Who are the Makerfield by-election candidates?
On Thursday, Makerfield residents will go to the polls in the most important byelection in recent history.
The outcome of the contest, triggered by the resignation of Labor MP and former minister Josh Simons, is likely to determine who will be Britain’s prime minister for years to come.
Polls show a tight race between Labor candidate Andy Burnham and Reform England’s Robert Kenyon.
If the mayor of Greater Manchester declares victory, it is widely believed he will return to parliament to launch a formal challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.
But if Nigel Farage’s party wins, the leadership race could be triggered by people already in parliament, such as former health minister Wes Streeting or Angela Rayner.
First of all, a win for Reform UK in Makerfield, which has always had a Labor MP, would strongly signal that the party’s old strongholds would be wiped out in the next general election, paving the way for the Farage premiership.
But the candidates will be challenged by other parties, including Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party, which split the right-wing vote in its first and only election poll so far.
Meanwhile, the Green Party decided to nominate candidates despite calls from some senior figures to step aside.
As the candidates prepare to face off in the races on Thursday, here’s a look at the main players:
Andy Burnham (Labor)
Former cabinet minister Andy Burnham framed his candidacy in Makerfield as an opportunity for voters to “change Labour”.
What set off the by-election was the resignation of his ally, former minister Josh Simons, to give Mr Burnham a path back to parliament.
It comes after nearly 100 Labor MPs called on Sir Keir to resign as prime minister following disastrous local election results, sparking intense speculation about an imminent leadership contest in which the mayor of Manchester would have to return to Westminster to take part.
He hopes a victory over Reform UK will prove to his party that he can beat Mr Farage’s party in the general election.
The first by-election poll in Makerfield put Mr Burnham in the lead, just three points ahead of Mr Kenyon.
Speaking at a community and sports club in his constituency at the start of his campaign, Mr Burnham insisted his bid to return to parliament would not be “business as usual” and would instead force Westminster to “focus on places where it is often left in the past”.
Robert Kenyon (Reformation England)
The Reformation candidate is local plumber Robert Kenyon, who says he is “ready to face the King in the North.”
He performed well in his first election poll, trailing Mr Burnham by just three points in Labour’s historic stronghold.
He also ran as Reform’s candidate in the 2024 general election and lost by just 5,399 votes; Reform easily won all wards in the constituency in local elections this month.
But since his campaign began, it has been marred by controversy after a series of comments he made emerged online.
Independent It found that an account linked to Mr Kenyon wrote that women “can’t make references, drive or give directions” and added: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.” The account objectified European women’s bodies, saying that British women “don’t care” and “walk around with their fat bellies and weird shapes, pushing strollers in their pajamas as 16-year-olds”.
Previously revealed messages showed him making sexual comments about presenter Carol Vorderman and saying Russia had the right to invade Crimea.
But a spokesman for Reform UK did not dispute the comments, instead describing them as “locker room jokes”.
Instead, they argued, Mr Kenyon’s comments highlighted that he was “not a polished, professional politician and does not talk like one”.
“That’s exactly why he will be an outspoken, influential voice for regular working people in Makerfield.”
Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain)
Reform rival Restore Britain has decided to leave its stronghold in Great Yarmouth and is fielding a candidate in the Makerfield by-election.
Rebecca Shepherd, 53, was described by party leader Rupert Lowe as someone who “understands first-hand the pressures faced by local businesses and working families in the area” and vowed to “fight for the interests of the community rather than a political career”.
The party performed surprisingly well in its first election poll, gaining a seven-point lead among right-wing voters.
The party has received support from tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has publicly supported Restore Britain on the X platform on several occasions.
Lowe founded Restore last year after he was suspended from Reform UK over allegations he threatened party chairman Zia Yusuf. He denied the allegations and the Crown Prosecution Service said no criminal charges would be brought against him in relation to the alleged threats against Mr Yusuf.
He said that “millions of British people are on our side” and that “Farage can impudently insult me over and over but he has never been this wrong.”
However, Restore’s candidate was not included in the BBC’s lineup Question Time Makerfield is special for the by-election.
Mr Lowe hit out at the decision, but a BBC spokesman said the five parties’ entry was based on the party’s “past and current electoral support”.
Sarah Wakefield (Green Party)
The Green Party enjoyed a huge boost in the polls following the Gorton and Denton by-elections earlier this year, in which their candidate Hannah Spencer defeated both Reform England and Labor in the historic contest.
But efforts to repeat success at Makerfield were hampered by nomination problems and intra-party infighting.
Manchester councilor Sarah Wakefield will now enter the contest on June 18 and says the party’s message is “the future can be better and fairer than the failing status quo”.
His selection comes after former Greens candidate Chris Kennedy apologized following reports that he had shared a post describing an attack on Jewish ambulances in North London as a “false flag”.
Ms Wakefield is currently on maternity leave from her role as charity director and has previous experience in retail, with a particular focus on sustainable food.
Michael Winstanley (Conservative)
The Conservative Party’s candidate is Wigan’s former mayor, Michael Winstanley, and party leader Kemi Badenoch said he would “be an excellent advocate for the area, having lived, worked and represented the local community for many years”.
Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester this week, Mr Winstanley claimed people in his constituency were “angry” about the contest and felt like “political pawns”.
“I care about this constituency and I actually want to have a unique voice that can represent them at Westminster,” he said.
Announcing her candidacy, Ms Badenoch acknowledged calls from some for the Conservatives to step aside in the by-election.
He wrote to X: “This will never happen.” “Makerfield and the British people deserve the opportunity to vote for a party that is committed to dropping the welfare bill, supports business and understands the dangers of nationalisation, is open and transparent about who it gets its donations from and does not seek to hide millions in crypto funding.”
However, it seems unlikely that the party, which received only 2 percent of the votes in the early elections, will win the contest.
Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats)
Councilor Jake Austin has been announced as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Makerfield by-election.
Mr Austin has previously clashed with Mr Burnham as he is the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Greater Manchester mayoral election in 2024.
The Wigan-born party says Mr Austin will show residents “what a dedicated local champion looks like, someone who is not caught up in ambitions of national leadership”.
“Voters in Makerfield deserve far more than the failed Labor government or the divisive policies of Reformation UK,” he said.
“We have a real opportunity to champion the issues that matter most to people: the cost of living, protecting our natural environment and supporting our local high streets and businesses.”
