At last month's local elections , it was Nigel Farage's war cry: 'Vote Reform. Get Starmer Out.' In Makerfield, everyone else is saying the same.

It’s not just the June 18 Makerfield by-election: the anti-immigration party to the right of Reform has its eyes on a nationwide battle.

The candidates in the Makerfield by-election may have been campaigning relentlessly on local issues like flooding, policing and housing, but has there ever been a by-election with…