Result - By-Election

Makerfield By-Election 2026: Result, Ward Map and Scenario Explorer

Greater Manchester (North West England) · Declared Friday 19 June 2026

Last updated19 June 2026

Result - 19 June 2026 Andy Burnham (Labour) held Makerfield with 54.8% of the vote, ahead of Robert Kenyon (Reform UK) on 34.5% - a majority of 9,241 (20.3pp). Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain) 6.8%, Michael Winstanley (Con) 2.2%, Sarah Wakefield (Grn) 0.7%, Jake Austin (LD) 0.4%. Turnout was 58.75%.

The Makerfield by-election was triggered on 14 May 2026 when sitting Labour MP Josh Simons resigned the seat to clear the way for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was selected as Labour's candidate. Polling took place on 18 June 2026 and the result was declared on 19 June 2026: Burnham held the seat with 54.8%, with Robert Kenyon (Reform UK) second on 34.5% - a 20.3-point gap. At the 2024 general election Labour won here with 45.2% to Reform's 31.8%.

Scenario explorer

Pick a baseline (any of five published constituency polls, the 2024 General Election, or the 7 May 2026 local elections), then adjust Burnham bonus, turnout and tactical voting to see how the 8-ward map shifts. The Survation 1 June poll uses its own ward-group crossbreaks; the others apply each ward's GE2024 relative strength to the poll's constituency total.

Constituency vote share
Scenario controls
Baseline
Default: Survation 1 June poll (N=518) using its own ward-group crossbreaks. The other constituency polls are headline-only, so ward shares are derived from each ward's GE2024 relative strength.
Burnham bonus to Labour
+0pp
0+20pp
Overall Turnout
42%
28%60%
Lab voters defecting to Reform
0%
Con voters consolidating to Reform
0%
Grn/LD voters tactically to Labour
0%
Current leader
Ward breakdown

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Makerfield by-election?
Andy Burnham (Labour and Co-operative) won, holding the seat for Labour. He took 54.8% of the vote (24,937 votes), ahead of Robert Kenyon of Reform UK on 34.5% (15,696 votes). The result was declared on 19 June 2026.
What was the majority and turnout?
Burnham's majority over Reform UK was 9,241 votes, or 20.3 percentage points. Turnout was 58.75% on an electorate of 76,641. That was up from 52.5% at the 2024 general election.
Why was there a by-election in Makerfield?
Sitting Labour MP Josh Simons resigned the seat on 14 May 2026, clearing the way for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was selected as Labour's candidate by the party's NEC on 15 May 2026. Polling took place on 18 June 2026.
How did the result compare with the 2024 general election?
Labour's vote share rose from 45.2% in 2024 to 54.8%, and Reform UK's from 31.8% to 34.5%. The Conservatives fell from 10.9% to 2.2% and the Liberal Democrats from 6.8% to 0.4%. Restore Britain, a new party, took 6.8%.
How does this ward-by-ward explorer work?
Pick a baseline (the declared by-election result, one of five published constituency polls, the 2024 general election, or the 7 May 2026 Wigan local elections), then adjust turnout, a Burnham personal-vote bonus and tactical voting to see how the 8-ward map shifts. Ward-level figures are estimates derived from each ward's relative strength, not direct measurements, so treat single-ward winners as indicative.