Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the candidate to stand in the Makerfield by-election, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has announced.
The Labour Party said no other candidates were shortlisted for the seat vacated by Josh Simons.
Mr Simons said he would step down as MP for Makerfield to allow Burnham to “return to his home, fight to re-enter Parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for”.
Mr Burnham’s main competition will be local plumber and Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon, who stood in the constituency during the general election.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said he was “humbled” to have been selected, adding that working-class communities in the Makerfield constituency had been let down by national politics and he is glad the by-election would put them in the spotlight.
“These proud working-class communities represent the very best values of our country and they deserve so much better. It would be my honour to work for them every day, if elected as their MP, to achieve that,” Mr Burnham said.
“Many people here feel Westminster isn’t working for them and they are right. I am standing to change that and get the voice of these communities heard loud and clear.”
When is the Makerfield by-election?
The by-election has been confirmed for June 18 this year.
The new election was officially triggered when the writ for the by-election was moved by the Commons speaker.
A by-election must take place between 21 and 27 working days from the issuing of the writ - leading to June 18 being selected as the date.
A notice posted by Wigan Council said applications to register to vote must be submitted by midnight on Tuesday 2 June.
Who are the candidates?
Andy Burnham, The Labour Party - A former Labour government minister, Mr Burnham has been the region's metropolitan mayor since 2017.
Robert Kenyon, Reform UK - Seen as the main rival to Burnham for the seat, Kenyon is a self-employed plumber and stood in the constituency in the 2024 general election, coming second.
Chris Kennedy, The Green Party - A children’s safeguarding specialist, Mr Kennedy was selected as the candidate after a ballot of local members following a hustings. He said his party would use the by-election to “press Andy Burnham on what kind of MP and Prime Minister he would be”.
Michael Winstanley, The Conservative Party - The former mayor of Wigan between 2010 and 2011. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Winstanley would "make an excellent champion of the area having lived in, worked in and represented the local community for years".
Alan 'Howlin' Laud Hope, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Alan Hope is the party’s leader and co-founder.
Rebecca Shepherd, Restore Britain - The local businesswoman was described by Rupert Lowe’s party as "understanding first-hand the pressures facing local businesses and working families across the area".
What are Andy Burnham’s chances of winning?
It is shaping up to be a difficult contest for Mr Burnham.
Mr Simons held a majority of 5,399 votes in the constituency after the 2024 general election. Labour secured 18,202 votes, while Reform UK finished second with 12,803.
But Labour was almost wiped out locally in the recent local elections, where the party lost all 22 councillors in Wigan, and Reform UK won 24 of the 25 seats up for grabs.
In the eight Makerfield wards that voted in the May election, Reform secured 50% of the vote while Labour got 23%.
But popular Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham is seen as a figure who can beat Reform both locally and nationally.
A Labour Party led by Burnham could beat Reform UK in a general election, a recent poll suggested.
The survey, carried out for More in Common, found that Labour would get an eight-point boost with Mr Burnham at its helm and move ahead of Nigel Farage’s party, securing 30% of the vote to Reform’s 27% if an election was held now.
Rob Ford, Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester, said: “I'd call it advantage Burnham, but by no means nailed down.
“Reform have picked right candidate (another local plumber!) who can play on specific local resentments about the parachuting of Josh Simons in 2024 and more general discontent about neglect from Labour. "All to play for!”
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has claimed that the by-election contest is a “David versus Goliath battle”.
I am proud and humbled to have been selected as Labour’s candidate for Makerfield.
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) May 19, 2026
These proud working-class communities represent the very best values of our country and they deserve so much better. It would be my honour to work for them every day, if elected as their MP, to…
“This is the ‘The Plucky Plumber’ taking on ‘Open Borders Burnham.’ Only Reform UK can beat Labour in this byelection,” he said.
In a video posted online by Reform, Kenyon took aim at Burnham, claiming that Makerfield was a “stepping stone” for the Labour politician.
If Burnham wins the seat and returns to Westminster, it is expected he will challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
Labour is facing threats from both the Greens and Reform UK.
Robert Kenyon is our by-election candidate.
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) May 19, 2026
This is The Plucky Plumber taking on Open Borders Burnham.
Only Reform UK can beat Labour. https://t.co/he6lEwEKJC
Announcing his intention to run, Burnham said: “I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times.
“We will change Labour for the better and make it a party you can believe in again.”
Burnham has emerged as a frontrunner to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Labour’s disastrous local election results, in which the party lost 1,498 council seats, triggered political instability within the party.
More than 90 MPs have called for Starmer’s resignation, while several senior ministers — including Health Secretary Wes Streeting — have resigned.
Makerfield has been held continuously by Labour since the constituency was created in 1983.
