Aysu Biçer
18 June 2026•Update: 18 June 2026
Polling began in Makerfield, a constituency in northwest England near Wigan, in a byelection widely seen as a key political test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government.
The vote follows the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who stepped down to clear the way for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to seek a return to Westminster.
Burnham has said he wants to “vote to change politics” and has framed his bid as part of a broader push to reshape the national political landscape, including the possibility of a future leadership role at the top of government.
Despite Makerfield's long-standing status as a safe Labour seat -- held continuously by the party since the constituency's creation in 1983 -- the contest has tightened significantly in the final days of campaigning.
On the ballot, Labour faces its most serious challenge from Nigel Farage's Reform UK, with candidate Robert Kenyon emerging as the party's standard-bearer in a constituency increasingly viewed as an important electoral battleground.
Attention has also focused on a third contender, Rebecca Shepherd, a 53-year-old local businesswoman standing for the newly formed Restore Britain party.
The party was founded in February by suspended Reform MP for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe, who broke away from Reform UK last year in an effort to position his new movement to the right of Farage’s party.
Restore Britain has made a rapid impact on the campaign, aided by a significant online following and amplification on the US social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk.
Party strategists argue that the group's rise reflects growing fragmentation on the populist right, with voters shifting between Reform UK and newer alternatives.
A Survation poll conducted in the constituency put Burnham on 43%, Kenyon on 40% and Shepherd on 7%, leaving the race too close for comfort for all sides as polling day unfolds.
While Labour remains ahead, the narrow margin has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty into what was once expected to be a routine victory.
Campaigning in recent days has been dominated by competing narratives, with Labour warning of a divided opposition, Reform UK arguing it is the only credible challenger to the governing party, and Restore Britain seeking support from voters dissatisfied with both.
