Updated
UK PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION · 18 JUNE 2026
Makerfield by-election result
Andy Burnham · Labour hold
Winning vote share54.8%
Labour finished 20.3 points ahead of Reform UK, on 58.7% turnout.
Who won?
Andy Burnham won for Labour. The majority was 9,231 votes.
Did the seat change hands?
No. Labour held the seat.
Was it a surprise?
Stronger than expected. Labour was expected to be competitive with Burnham as candidate; winning by more than 20 points made the hold much more decisive.
WHAT IT TELLS US
Read the local result in context
A high-profile candidate can still rebuild Labour's coalition in a Reform-facing northern seat. Reform's 34.5% confirms its strength, but also shows a ceiling when Labour consolidates its vote.
A by-election changes one MP. Turnout, candidates and local circumstances can differ sharply from a general election, so this result is not a national voting-intention poll.
SOURCE
Check the published result
Result figures come from UK Parliament or the relevant returning officer. Expected-versus-surprise labels and trend notes are Road to 326 editorial judgements, based on the previous result, vote-share movement and the circumstances of each contest; they are not probabilities or official classifications.