Rupert Lowe says Restore Britain will stand in Makerfield by-election to challenge Andy Burnham and Reform UK

Alaric Whitcombe16 May 2026

Campaign posters for the Makerfield by-election displayed on a high street in Greater Manchester

Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party will field a candidate in the forthcoming Makerfield by-election, injecting a third force into a contest already set to pit Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham against Reform UK. The move, confirmed by Lowe in a social media post, comes as Burnham prepares to use the by-election as a springboard for a potential challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party.

Restore Britain enters the fray

Writing on X, Lowe said: “Restore Britain will be standing a candidate in the Makerfield by-election. There is overwhelming demand from our local members to do so, and I entirely agree. Our campaign has already started, and we aim to win thousands and thousands of votes. More news very soon.” The party leader has not yet named its candidate, but confirmed the decision to take on both Burnham and Reform UK, which has yet to announce its own contender for the seat.

Restore Britain, described as a right-wing to far-right party, was launched as a pressure group in June 2025 and registered as a political party the following February. Lowe, a former Reform UK MP who left after a bitter dispute in which Reform alleged threatening behaviour – allegations he denied – has positioned the party to the right of his old outfit. Its policies include mass deportations, a commitment to net-negative immigration and a declared focus on “British interests”; Lowe has said the party “will look at the facts, and then discriminate.”

Burnham’s ambitions and the Labour leadership question

The by-election itself was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who won the seat in 2024. Simons, a Cambridge graduate with a Harvard doctorate who previously resigned as a Labour policy adviser over antisemitism under Jeremy Corbyn, said his decision was a “family decision” and that he was not being promised another role. He argued that “urgent, radical, courageous reform” was needed in British politics and that Burnham was the best person to deliver it.

Rupert Lowe speaking at a Restore Britain party launch event with supporters in the background

The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has now granted permission for Burnham to stand in the candidate selection process for Makerfield. Applications opened on 16 May, close on 18 May, and the NEC will endorse a candidate on 21 May. This marks a significant reversal from February, when the NEC blocked Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election, citing concerns about him vacating his metro mayor position. Burnham, who served as the Labour MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017 and held cabinet posts under Gordon Brown – including Health Secretary and Culture Secretary – has been Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, winning re-election in 2021 and 2024. His mayoral term still has two years left, meaning a separate mayoral by-election would be required if he becomes an MP.

If Burnham is successful in Makerfield, it is widely expected that he will challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. The 56-year-old, associated with the soft left of the party, previously finished second to Jeremy Corbyn in the 2015 leadership contest. His return to Westminster would place him at the centre of a party reeling from significant losses in recent local elections, which have intensified pressure on Starmer. A Labour leadership challenge requires nomination from at least 20% of Labour MPs, and Burnham’s potential candidacy has already drawn public backing from former health secretary Wes Streeting, who resigned from government.

Streeting said: “We need our best players on the pitch. There is no doubt that Andy Burnham is one of them. The Makerfield by-election will be tough. Votes will need to be earned. Andy is the best chance of winning and that should override factional advantage or propping up one person.” Allies of Streeting, however, have indicated that he would still contest any future leadership battle himself. Labour sources told The People’s Channel that the Government will announce a timetable for the by-election next week. The contest could cost the taxpayer up to £226,000, with the earliest possible date set for 18 June.

The exterior of Makerfield constituency constituency office with campaign banners visible

Local election success signals broader ambition

Restore Britain’s decision to stand in Makerfield follows a striking performance in this month’s local elections. The party achieved a perfect 100 per cent success rate, winning all ten seats it contested in Great Yarmouth. That result directly denied Reform UK the three extra seats it needed to secure a majority on Norfolk County Council, leaving the authority in no overall control. Reform had taken the most seats in Norfolk – 40 of 84 – but fell short of an outright majority.

Lowe subsequently announced intentions to field Restore Britain candidates nationwide in future local and general elections. The intervention in Makerfield, a constituency where Reform UK came second to Josh Simons in 2024 with a majority of 5,399, now threatens to split the right-wing vote. Recent local election results in the area have shown a significant surge in Reform support, with the party winning every council ward inside the constituency and securing roughly half the vote there. Reform UK, which now has eight MPs and is led by Nigel Farage, has yet to name its own candidate for the by-election.