THE race in a key Westminster by-election is into its final stages – and bookmakers have picked a clear favourite to win.
The Makerfield by-election is one of the most consequential by-elections ever because if Andy Burnham wins, he could oust Keir Starmer from Downing Street.
He is the bookies’ favourite to win though Reform UK could also stand a chance.
In this cluster of towns, just outside Wigan and in the Greater Manchester local authority area, Nigel Farage’s party won all but one seat up for grabs in the Wigan council elections last year.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Josh Simons, the disgraced former minister and onetime head of Labour Together during the time the murky think tank spied on journalists.
He quit to gave the Greater Manchester Mayor a route to power off the back of Labour’s thrashing in the local and devolved parliament elections in May.
Starmer has said he will fight any challenge against his leadership but Burnham is the favourite to win a contest, if he can make it back to Westminster.
What are the odds on who will win in the Makerfield by-election?
Labour are the current favourites. Sky Bet gives them odds of 1/4. Reform come in second place with odds of 3/1 while Rupert Lowe’s splinter party Restore Britain are on 20/1.
The Greens are on 400/1 while the LibDems and the Tories are both on 500/1.
Who are the candidates in the Makerfield by-election?
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is Labour’s candidate and has said that if elected he will challenge Keir Starmer for the premiership.
Robert Kenyon is the Reform UK candidate. He is a plumber and has received sharp criticism for offensive social media posts he has made about women and trans people.
The Restore Britain candidate is Rebecca Shepherd, a businesswoman. The Greens have put forward Sarah Wakefield, while the LibDems have nominated Jake Austin as their candidate. The Conservative candidate is Michael Winstanley.
