Farage blames Makerfield defeat on anti-Starmer votes
BBC News 2026-06-19 10:57:45
Context: Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, expressed disappointment with his party's performance in the Makerfield by-election, where they finished second, over 9,000 votes behind Labour's Andy Burnham, the outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester. The by-election took place just south of Wigan, and Farage attributed the defeat to voters seeking to eject Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street. Reform UK had aimed to defeat Burnham and gain a high-profile scalp to boost its credentials as the main opposition party to Labour.
Key Facts
- Nigel Farage stated that Reform UK's second-place finish in the Makerfield by-election was a "disappointing" result, with the party garnering just shy of 16,000 votes, short of their expected 18,000 votes.
- Andy Burnham won the by-election with a "vote share that nobody could quite see coming," increasing Labour's majority over Reform UK in the constituency.
- Farage claimed that the outcome was driven by a desire among voters to "get Starmer out," with Burnham's popularity as a local mayor also playing a factor, drawing comparisons to Boris Johnson's popularity as mayor of London.
- Restore Britain, a right-wing rival party founded by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, finished third in the by-election, capturing around 7% of the vote, and presenting a strategic dilemma for Farage ahead of the next general election.
- Farage issued a plea for Restore Britain voters to back Reform UK instead, stating that they are the main "challenger party to the left" in the country, and urging them to "think again" about their voting choice.