Reform UK loses Makerfield byelection as Labour’s Burnham wins 55%
8 reported
According to a Guardian report, Labour candidate Andy Burnham won the Makerfield byelection with 55% of the vote, while Reform UK received 35% and Restore Britain managed 7%. The result placed Burnham 6,100 votes ahead of Reform and Restore combined. The article notes that Makerfield is estimated to be 97% white British and that in May local elections, Reform had achieved a vote share of 50.4% in the constituency's council wards, with Labour at 22.7%. The Guardian columnist describes the Labour win as both a feat of mass campaigning and a testament to Burnham's standing as a politician. The article reports that this is Reform UK's third byelection anticlimax in less than a year, and that the party's average poll rating has fallen by about five percentage points from its late-2025 high. The piece also mentions that Reform's candidate Robert Kenyon had a history of social media output described as "utterly stupid" and lacked political skills.
What’s reported
Labour's Andy Burnham won the Makerfield byelection with 55% of the vote
Reform UK received 35%, Restore Britain received 7%
Burnham's margin over Reform and Restore combined was 6,100 votes
Makerfield is estimated to be 97% white British
In May local elections, Reform had 50.4% vote share in the constituency's council wards, Labour 22.7%
This is Reform UK's third byelection anticlimax in less than a year
Reform's average poll rating has fallen about five percentage points from its late-2025 high
Reform candidate Robert Kenyon had a history of social media output described as "utterly stupid" and lacked political skills
Key figures
Andy Burnham: Labour candidate who won the Makerfield byelection
Nigel Farage: Leader of Reform UK
Robert Kenyon: Reform UK candidate in Makerfield
Rupert Lowe MP: Leader of Restore Britain
John Harris: Guardian columnist who wrote the article
John Domokos: Camera-wielding colleague of the columnist
Les: A man in Hindley with views the columnist found problematic, who displayed Restore Britain placards
Matt Goodwin: Reform candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection
Nick Candy: Property developer leading Reform's fundraising
Henry Nowak: Murder victim mentioned in the article
Keir Starmer: UK Prime Minister mentioned in the article
Winston Churchill: Former UK prime minister quoted in the article
Sources: The Guardian
