2026 Makerfield by-election

Electoral context

The Makerfield by-election will take place in a significantly altered electoral landscape following the May 2026 local elections. Reform UK secured 30% of the vote across Greater Manchester, while Labour was reduced to 23% and the Greens increased their support to 19%.^{[13][better source needed]} In the 2026 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election, Reform UK won every council seat in the Makerfield constituency.^[14] They also received around 50% of the vote.^[15] Polling analysis suggests that while no "safe" Labour seats remain, Burnham's personal popularity in Greater Manchester makes a Makerfield by-election victory achievable for Labour, though the party faces significant challenges from both Reform UK on the right and the Greens on the left.^{[13][better source needed]}

Constituency

The Makerfield constituency contains the towns of Ashton-in-Makerfield and Ince-in-Makerfield as well as other residential on the outskirts of Greater Manchester.^[16] Makerfield has been a safe seat for the Labour Party since its creation in 1983.^[17] It was created from parts of Ince, Wigan and Leigh.^[18] Makerfield is considered a working class seat.^[19] It is considered part of the Red wall.^[20] Makerfield was represented for decades by former cabinet minister Sir Ian McCartney.^[18] It was then held by Yvonne Fovargue until 2024.^[21] In 2024, Josh Simons held the seat but with a majority of under 6,000 over Reform UK.^[22]

Conservative Party

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch confirmed in an interview with GB News on 15 May 2026 that the party will field a candidate for the Makerfield by-election.^[23]

Green Party

The Green Party stated on 15 May that they had already begun the process of selecting a candidate to contest the by-election.^[24] A Green spokesperson said "we've shown we can beat Reform" and the party looked forward to the campaign and have learned from their campaigning and wins in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election and the recent local elections.^[25]

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas called on the party to stand down in favour of Burnham, should he be selected as the Labour candidate, due to his support for proportional representation.^[26]

Labour Party

Simons's resignation was explicitly done to provide a seat for Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.^[27] Burnham declared his candidacy on the same day and was granted authorisation to run from the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party on 15 May.^[28][29] Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Lucy Powell, who serves as an Officer of the NEC, and Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting have publicly supported Burnham's bid to become the Labour candidate.^[30][31] On 15 May, a Labour party spokesmen said that the NEC had approved Burnham's bid,^[32][31] ahead of a planned selection meeting to take place on 21 May.^[33]

Burnham had previously attempted to secure a parliamentary seat by applying to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election in January 2026, but he was blocked by the Labour Party's National Executive Committee in an 8-1 vote, which former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has since called a mistake. The by-election was won by Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, whom Burnham previously defeated in the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election.^[34] Burnham's intended candidacy has received much press attention, as he is seen as a possible challenger for the position Labour Party leader against incumbent leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister must be a member of parliament and by traditional convention an MP in the House of Commons.^[29]

Burnham, who served as MP for the adjacent seat of Leigh from 2001 to 2017, has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Starmer as Labour leader. Under Labour party rules, a candidate for leader must be an MP. Polling has consistently shown Burnham as the most popular senior Labour figure among both party members and the general public, with one poll showing 62% of Labour members would back him against Starmer in a hypothetical head-to-head contest.^[35]

Burnham is a long-time supporter of proportional representation; in an article for Sky News, reporter Faye Brown speculated that the Greens could make electoral reform a key part of the by-election.^[36]

On 15 May, it was announced that the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee had granted permission for Andy Burnham to stand in the party’s candidate selection process for the forthcoming Makerfield by-election, following the agreement of sitting Labour MP Josh Simons to step down. Burnham subsequently confirmed he was seeking a return to Westminster. The by-election was expected to be closely contested against Reform UK, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting describing Burnham as one of Labour's “best players” and “best chance of winning” the seat.^[37]

Official Monster Raving Loony Party

On 14 May, Howling Laud Hope declared his intention to stand in the by-election as the Monster Raving Loony candidate.^[38]

Reform UK

On 16 May, The Mill reported that Robert Kenyon, who was recently elected to sit as a councillor on Wigan Council is rumoured to be the candidate for Reform UK; he ran as a Reform UK candidate in Makerfield in 2024 general election but came second.^[39][40]