Voters in the Makerfield constituency in northern England will go to the polls on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in a parliamentary by-election triggered by Labour MP Josh Simons’ resignation.
The Makerfield parliamentary by-election will be held on Thursday 18 June 2026, after Labour MP Josh Simons resigned his Commons seat, triggering the contest. Simons said he stepped down to give Andy Burnham — the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a former cabinet minister — the opportunity to return to Westminster by standing for the seat. Burnham, who has lived in the area for years and previously served as the MP for the nearby Leigh constituency, is set to face Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon. Kenyon, a plumber and army reservist, previously contested Makerfield for Reform at the 2024 general election. The by-election is being closely watched as a measure of Labour’s standing in the North West and as an early test of Reform UK’s ability to convert its recent momentum into a Westminster win. Several commentators have also framed the result as politically significant for Labour’s internal dynamics, given recurring speculation about Burnham’s longer-term ambitions. Turnout is expected to be a key factor in the outcome, as is common in by-elections, though no official estimate is available ahead of polling day.
