All you need to know about the Makerfield by-election and the candidates standing
A by-election in the parliamentary seat of Makerfield is being held after the resignation of Josh Simons.
Labour currently holds a majority of 5,399 in Makerfield, with Reform in second, with 18% of the vote.
But in Wigan, which includes part of Makerfield, Labour lost all 22 of its councillors in the local election, with Reform picking up 24 of the 25 seats up for grabs.
In the eight Makerfield wards that voted in the local election, Reform secured 50% of the vote while Labour got 23%.
The constituency's former MP stood down to allow the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to stand for his seat and return to Westminster.
Josh Simons said: “This was not an easy thing to do, and I wouldn’t have done it unless I really, really believed, at the end of the day, that this was in the best interests of the Labour Party, my community, and most importantly, the country.”
But with other parties keen to block his return, Mr Burnham faces a difficult fight to win over the people of the Makerfield constituency.
The full list of candidates, in alphabetical order, standing in the by-election, being held on 18 June are:
Jake Austin (Lib Dem)
Jake Austin has been announced as the Liberal Democrat candidate.
He was born and raised in Hindley, and has lived in Greater Manchester his whole life. Working in fundraising, Jake is also a Liberal Democrat Councillor.
He'd also previously been a Liberal Democrat candidate in the Greater Manchester Mayorality election.
Commenting on his selection, Jake Austin said:
“I’m thrilled to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Makerfield. Voters in Makerfield deserve so much more than the failing Labour government or the divisive politics of Reform UK.
“We have a real opportunity to champion the issues that matter most to people: the cost of living, protecting our natural environment and supporting our local high streets and businesses.”
Count Binface (Count Binface Party)
The Count Binface Party has announced Count Binface as its candidate for the by-election.
Describing himself as a intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX, Count Binface is campaigning on the message of "Makerfield great again".
Count Binface won 24,260 votes in the London Mayoral Election in 2024. Later that year they took on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the General Election in Richmond and Northallerton, winning 308 votes.
Andy Burnham (Labour)
The current Mayor of Greater Manchester is Labour's candidate.
The three-time mayor and former MP for Leigh told ITV News: “I'm standing on a call for change, aren't I? I think we need to change Labour to some degree so we can change politics, change the country.”
He added: “For me, we need a different path that puts those things back under public control, makes them more affordable.“The path that Britain has been on for 40 years, in my view, has been the wrong path.
"It's taken us to this place where people can't afford life's basics, they can't afford a few pints at the weekend, they can't afford a holiday. And that's why they're saying to politicians, do better. This is not good enough. And they're right to say that.
"I'm saying there's a new path here, new politics to build a new economy for Britain.”
“That is the main question in this by-election. Are people happy to stick on the path that Britain's been on for 40 years, or do we want a new path?”
Dan Clarke (The Libertarian Party)
Dan Clarke has been named as the candidate for the Makerfield by-election.
He is the party's co-ordinator for the North-West and stood in the Gorton and Denton by-election, also in Greater Manchester, in February.
Ed Gemmell (Climate Party)
Leader of the Climate Party Ed Gemmell is standing in the Makerfield by-election.
Gemmell believes that "none of the mainstream parties are capitalising on this economic opportunity, which has led to the establishment of the Climate Party - the only pro-business, pro-climate political party".
He said "A vote for me is a vote for a richer, greener Britain."
Robert Kenyon (Reform UK)
Makerfield-born plumber and gas engineer Robert Kenyon is Reform UK's candidate.
In a campaign video, he claimed to be the first MP born in Makerfield to represent the constituency.
He said: "It get's me a bit emotional sometimes, thinking that I could be representing people in Parliament. It's a massive honour. People are going to think: hang on, he serviced my boiler last week.
"People in this area have been taken advantage of for too long. The Makerfield constituency deserves a local champion."
Kenyon stood in the constituency for Reform UK in the 2024 general election, where he came second to Labour's Josh Simons.
Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party)
Party leader and co-founder Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope is the candidate for the Monster Raving Loony party.
In a statement, the party said: "We can confirm that our glorious leader Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope with selected agents will be standing against Andy Burnham in the forthcoming election in Makerfield.
"We can also confirm that there is no intention to launch a leadership bid to replace our leader."
Hope founded the party alongside ‘ScreamingLord Sutch’ at a pub in Devon in 1982.
He previously stood in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where he received 128 votes.
Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain)
Local businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd has been announced as Restore Britain's candidate.
A party statement said: "Rebecca has spent most of her adult life living and working in the Wigan borough, where she has built and run her own small business.
"Through that experience, she understands first-hand the pressures facing local businesses and working people across the community."
Restore Britain, which was created by Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe in February after he left Reform UK, said Rebecca Shepherd would prioritise improving SEND access, creating safer streets for women and girls, and "fight reckless overdevelopment."
Sarah Wakefield (Green Party)
Manchester City Councillor Sarah Wakefield has been selected as Green Party candidate.
The 38-year-old mum-of-two is currently on maternity leave as a charity director, she previously worked in retail with a focus on sustainable food and is a trustee of a community organisation.
“I am proud to be representing the Green Party in the Makerfield by-election," she said.
"It is vital in a democracy that voters are given a choice of who they want to vote for. Together we can bring back the hope that politics can create a better life for ourselves and our children. This is what the Green Party represents.
“We showed in Gorton and Denton we can take on and beat Reform, whose backward-looking and divisive politics needs to be challenged head-on with a message that the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo.
"Don’t vote in anger, vote in hope.”
Peter Ward (The Rejoin EU Party)
The Rejoin EU Party announced barrister Peter Ward will stand as its candidate.
Party chairman Brendan Donnelly said: "Rejoining the EU has come back into the British political debate in a big way. The Rejoin EU Party intends to make a full contribution to this discussion. That's why we're standing in Makerfield.
"In addition to that, in recent months it's become increasingly clear that our EU partners will want to be sure that once returned to the EU, the UK won't leave again at a later date."
"The Rejoin EU Party believes a new voting system is necessary to guarantee future political stability in the UK.
"We'll therefore be stressing in our campaign the need for the UK rapidly to move towards a system of proportional representation."
Michael Winstanley (Conservatives)
Former Wigan councillor Michael Winstanley has been selected as the Conservative Party candidate.
He was born and lives in Makerfield, growing up above his parents’ corner shop in Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Winstanley was selected as the Conservative candidate for the Makerfield constituency in 1997 before serving as a Wigan councillor for Orrell for 16 years, having first been elected in 2000.
He said: “Makerfield has always been at the heart of everything I do. I know the pride people have in our towns and villages, but I also understand the challenges families and businesses are facing because of this Government’s decisions.
“Under Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party has changed and has clear plans to build Stronger High Streets and Get Britain Working Again.
“This by-election is an opportunity to give Makerfield a strong local voice who understands the area and has a proven record of delivering for the area and I am looking forward to the campaign.”
Independents
The following people are standing in the Makerfield by-election as Independents:
John Dyer, from the Liverpool Wavertree constituency
Paul Gould, from the Wallasey Constituency
Robert Pownall, from the Norwich North constituency
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