Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election for Labour and the Co-operative Party, defeating Reform UK’s Rob Kenyon by 9,231 votes. Burnham received 24,927 votes, or 54.8%, ahead of Kenyon on 15,696 and 34.5%.
The result was declared on 19 June following voting on Thursday 18 June. Josh Simons’s resignation in May triggered the contest, giving Burnham an opportunity to return to the House of Commons.
Restore Britain’s Rebecca Lee Shepherd finished third with 3,111 votes and 6.8%. The Conservatives received 997 votes, while the Green and Liberal Democrat candidates each polled below 1%. Parliament recorded turnout of 58.7%.
Makerfield: full result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Burnham | Labour and Co-operative | 24,927 | 54.8% |
| Rob Kenyon | Reform UK | 15,696 | 34.5% |
| Rebecca Lee Shepherd | Restore Britain | 3,111 | 6.8% |
| Michael William Winstanley | Conservative | 997 | 2.2% |
| Sarah Elizabeth Wakefield | Green | 308 | 0.7% |
| Jake Austin | Liberal Democrats | 163 | 0.4% |
| Count Binface | Count Binface Party | 95 | 0.2% |
| Howling Laud Hope | Monster Raving Loony Party | 45 | 0.1% |
| John Alfred Dyer | Independent | 37 | 0.1% |
| Peter Mark Ward | Rejoin EU | 35 | 0.1% |
| Dan Clarke | Libertarian Party | 18 | 0.0% |
| Ed Gemmell | Climate Party | 18 | 0.0% |
| Robert Neil Pownall | Independent | 18 | 0.0% |
| Paul Richard Gould | Independent | 8 | 0.0% |
Shares are calculated from 45,476 valid votes and rounded to one decimal place. Totals may differ slightly from 100% through rounding.
Labour increases its vote and majority
Simons won Makerfield in 2024 with 18,202 votes and a majority of 5,399 over Reform. Burnham increased Labour’s vote total by 6,725 and its share from 45.2% to 54.8%.
Kenyon also increased Reform’s vote, from 12,803 to 15,696, but Labour widened its lead. Both leading parties gained votes as turnout rose from Parliament’s 52.5% figure for the general election.
The Conservative vote fell from 4,379 to 997, and the Liberal Democrat vote from 2,735 to 163. Restore Britain, which had not contested the seat in 2024, secured third place.
Burnham’s return to Westminster gives him the parliamentary seat needed to pursue a Labour leadership bid. His victory also gives Labour a stronger local result than in 2024, although his prominence as a former minister and Greater Manchester mayor makes Makerfield a distinctive contest.
Read the Makerfield constituency profile for MP details and local data, or our guide to comparing election results.
Sources: Wigan Council’s declaration, Parliament’s by-election record and its 2024 result. Vote totals follow the council’s official figures.