Burnham Campaign Shows Confidence in Makerfield Byelection as Counting Continues
7 reported2 unconfirmed
Counting is underway in the Makerfield byelection, with Labour’s Andy Burnham’s campaign expressing increasing confidence despite a tough contest against Reform UK. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News that Labour is “cautiously optimistic” about winning, noting that Burnham has been able to pull voters back from Reform in a way that seemed impossible just seven weeks ago at local elections. A Burnham aide reported that the campaign knocked on every door in the constituency in a week and a half and visited each home seven times over the five-week contest. The aide also said Burnham appeared to have a “significant lead” among women, partly attributed to offensive remarks about women posted by Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon. Turnout in Makerfield is reportedly very high, with estimates between 60% and 65%, compared to 52.5% at the general election. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party is reportedly anxious about losing the Aberdeen South seat to the Conservatives, where Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden is expected to win.
What’s reported
Counting is underway in the Makerfield byelection, with Labour’s Andy Burnham as the candidate.
Lisa Nandy said Labour is “cautiously optimistic” about winning the byelection.
A Burnham aide said the campaign knocked on every door in the constituency in a week and a half and visited each home seven times.
The aide reported Burnham has a “significant lead” among women, partly due to offensive remarks about women posted by Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon.
Turnout in Makerfield is reportedly between 60% and 65%, compared to 52.5% at the general election.
The SNP is reportedly “anxious” about losing the Aberdeen South seat to the Conservatives, where Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden is expected to win.
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin defended a video in which she said that when England loses football matches, incidents of domestic violence increase, and urged the team to “keep winning.”
Open questions
The final result of the Makerfield byelection is not yet known.
The final result of the Aberdeen South byelection is not yet known.
Key figures
Andy Burnham – Labour candidate in Makerfield byelection
Lisa Nandy – Culture secretary and MP for Wigan
Rob Kenyon – Reform UK candidate in Makerfield
Sarah Pochin – Reform UK MP
Douglas Lumsden – Conservative candidate in Aberdeen South
Richard Thomson – SNP candidate in Aberdeen South
Kemi Badenoch – UK Conservative leader
Jess Phillips – Former safeguarding minister
Thangam Debbonaire – Labour peer
Prof Sir John Curtice – BBC lead elections expert
Sources: The Guardian
