Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has voiced his disappointment regarding his party's performance in the recent Makerfield by-election. He attributed the defeat to a prevailing sentiment among voters to remove the current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, from office, suggesting this desire inadvertently benefited Labour's candidate, Andy Burnham. Burnham, the outgoing Mayor of Greater Manchester, secured a significant victory, increasing Labour's majority in the constituency.
Reform UK's candidate, Rob Kenyon, finished more than 9,000 votes behind Burnham, despite the party's ambition to secure a high-profile win in Makerfield. Farage remarked in an online video that Burnham's win, with a 'vote share that nobody could quite see coming', was largely driven by the 'vote Burnham, get Starmer out' mentality. He acknowledged that Reform UK had, in part, fallen victim to its own strategy of framing elections as an opportunity to challenge the Prime Minister's leadership.
Adding to Reform UK's woes, Farage also conceded that a portion of their expected vote share was lost to the newly formed right-wing party, Restore Britain. Founded by former Reform UK Member of Parliament, Rupert Lowe, Restore Britain made its electoral debut in Makerfield, finishing third and capturing around 7% of the vote. Farage urged Restore Britain voters to reconsider their allegiance, positioning Reform UK as the primary challenger to 'the left' in the country.
The strong performance by Restore Britain, which has only been registered as a political party since March, marks its emergence onto the national political scene and presents a strategic challenge for Reform UK ahead of the next general election. Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, echoed Farage's assessment of anti-Starmer voting influencing the outcome, while still commending his party's efforts in contesting the traditionally safe Labour seat.
Andy Burnham's decisive victory in Makerfield is widely seen as strengthening his position for a potential bid for the Labour leadership and, ultimately, Number 10. A seat in Parliament is a prerequisite for such a challenge, making the by-election a crucial step in his political trajectory. The by-election results also saw the Conservatives gain Aberdeen South from the SNP, while the SNP retained Arbroath and Broughty Ferry in other contests.