Burnham Faces Reform’s Kenyon in 18 June Makerfield Vote as Leadership Stakes Rise
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 19
Burnham Faces Reform’s Kenyon in 18 June Makerfield Vote as Leadership Stakes Rise
12 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 19
Makerfield’s 18 June by-election is set as a high-stakes Labour-Reform contest, with Andy Burnham selected for Labour and Robert Kenyon chosen by Reform UK.
Burnham’s candidacy follows Josh Simons’ resignation and would return the Greater Manchester mayor to Westminster, where a win is widely seen as a launchpad for a challenge to Keir Starmer.
Kenyon, a plumber, army reservist and 2024 runner-up who finished 5,399 votes behind Labour, is pitching himself as a local alternative to a “career politician” using the seat as a stepping stone.
Deleted X posts quickly put Kenyon under scrutiny after he questioned a vaccine’s claimed 90% effectiveness, engaged with a banned Dutch far-right influencer and praised Donald Trump.
The contest is widening beyond the two favourites, with Restore Britain fielding Rebecca Shepherd and the Greens due to choose a candidate, as Labour leadership pressure grows after Mark Drakeford backed Burnham to replace Starmer.
Is Andy Burnham Labour's last hope, or is the party's decline under Prime Minister Starmer now irreversible?
Can the 'King of the North' win back working-class voters from Reform UK, or is his comeback destined to fail?