Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, has decided to stand aside and resign his seat so that Andy Burnham can fight a by-election and return to Parliament as a candidate for the Labour leadership. Burnham has just confirmed that he is seeking permission from the ruling National Executive Committee to stand.
This is a high-stakes gamble for everyone involved. But then, in Labour politics right now, everything is
Makerfield sits next door to Leigh, the parliamentary seat Andy Burnham used to hold. But it is far from safe territory. Simons won it at the last general election with a majority of only around 6,000 over Reform. Nigel Farage’s party will contest this seat with all guns blazing. Most of the recent MRP superpolls put this down as a firm Reform win.
In the eight Makerfield wards contested at the local elections, these were the results:
Reform: 50.4 per cent
