ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD — A special election for the Makerfield parliamentary seat is scheduled for June 18, 2026. Andy Burnham is representing the Labour Party in the election. Former Labour lawmaker Josh Simons previously resigned from his seat.
Burnham currently serves as Mayor of Greater Manchester, a position he has held since 2017. He previously served in Parliament and in ministerial positions within Labour governments for 15 years. Makerfield is one of 650 seats in the House of Commons and has approximately 75,000 registered voters.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is also fielding a candidate, Rob Kenyon, in the election. Kenyon, a 41-year-old plumber and local councilor, finished second to Labour in the 2024 national election in Makerfield. Reform UK won 24 of 25 council seats in local elections in the Makerfield area in May 2026.
Burnham stated his intention to bring local successes to the national level. "What we've built in Greater Manchester needs to go national. I know what it is to turn places around." Burnham said. He also addressed the campaign, stating, "I am making no assumptions beyond the 18th of June."
The Makerfield district has elected Labour lawmakers continuously for 120 years. Phil Arrowsmith, a retiree, expressed his view on immigration. "Immigration's too high, all the services are being put under pressure and Labour just keep inviting more and more people into the country and it's the taxpayer who has to pay for them." Arrowsmith said. Voter Shirley Prior commented on the election. "I think they're all a waste of time." Prior said.
Keir Starmer, the current Prime Minister, leads Labour which won the general election in July 2024. Annual net migration to the U.K. exceeded 900,000 in 2023 during the previous Conservative government, decreasing to 171,000 in the year following 2023.