Andy Burnham is bidding to become the next Makerfield MP
20:24, 23 May 2026Updated 20:24, 23 May 2026
Nigel Farage MP with Robert Kenyon, Reform UK’s candidate(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
The first poll into the Makerfield by-election has been published tonight. Andy Burnham is hoping to win the seat in a dramatic contest that looks set to go to the wire.
Mr Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, launched his campaign on Friday. “Politics in this country, British politics, is tired,” he told supporters. “It needs a new script and over the next four weeks the people of Makerfield are going to write that script for change.”
He added: “I know my own party needs to change. We need to be better than we have been. A vote for me in this by-election is a vote to change Labour.”
The Labour candidate faces a fight to win the seat, however, which became available after standing Labour MP Josh Simons resigned earlier this month.
Click here for our dedicated Makerfield by-election newsletter with the latest updates and analysis
Reform swept the board at the recent Wigan local elections, winning 24 of the 25 seats available. And the party’s candidate in the by-election, Robert Kenyon, said he is “ready to take on the King of the North” in a reference to Mr Burnham’s moniker.
Mr Kenyon was joined on the campaign trail earlier this week by his party leader, Nigel Farage, and posted an image of him on Saturday with Zia Yusuf.
Burnham is the Labour candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election(Image: Getty Images)
Tonight (May 23), the Sunday Times published a poll showing a knife-edge race between Labour and Reform. The poll, by Survation for Election Data, is based off 369 respondents likely to vote in the election, the outlet reports.
It says the polls currently show:
Andy Burnham (Labour) – 43%Robert Kenyon (Reform) – 40%Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain) – 7%Jake Austin (Lib Dems) – 4%Green Party – 3%Michael Winstanley (Conservative) – 2%Other – 1%
Makerfield by-election poll
The Greens on Thursday named Chris Kennedy as their candidate, before he withdrew from the race just nine hours after his selection.
The party said Mr Kennedy had withdrawn for “personal and family reasons”, but it later emerged that he had shared posts on social media claiming an attack on Jewish ambulances in north London had been a “false flag” operation.
A Green spokesperson said Mr Kennedy had deleted and apologised for the posts, but added the party stood by its previous statement about the reasons for his withdrawal.
Join our new Makerfield by-election WhatsApp community by clicking this link for the latest news. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.