Voters in Makerfield go to the polls today to decide whether to send Andy Burnham to Westminster – and give him a path to No 10 should he choose to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
But that journey depends on the voters of Makerfield, who could choose to send Reform UK’s candidate Robert Kenyon to Parliament instead.
Makerfield is, on paper, strong ground for Reform. Labour won it at the 2024 general election with 45.2 per cent to Reform’s 31.8 per cent, but at May’s local elections, Reform took 49.8 per cent of the area’s vote to Labour’s 24.3 per cent, winning all but one of the seats on Wigan Council.
Shorts
Burnham has garnered strong support in the area, but his lead may depend on a divided right.
