The stakes could hardly be higher for Labour – or the country – at the Makerfield by-election. The constituency now finds itself in the bizarre position of picking the next prime minister of the UK, and if Andy Burnham fails to win over the seat with his alleged ‘King of the North’ act, it could prove almost existential for his party.
So be in no doubt: lefties far and wide will be celebrating this morning’s announcement by Rupert Lowe that his party Restore Britain will be fielding a candidate at the by-election. Despite warnings that entering the race could damage Reform’s chances by splitting the right-wing or anti-mass migration vote, Lowe has pressed ahead and announced that ‘local businesswoman’ Rebecca Shepherd will be throwing her hat in the ring.
According to Restore Britain, Shepherd has spent ‘most of her adult life living and working in the Wigan borough’ and understands ‘first-hand the pressures facing local businesses and working people’. Making the announcement on X, Lowe said:
Rebecca is standing for Makerfield because she believes local people deserve honest representation, accountability, and someone prepared to fight for the interests of the community rather than their own political careers. I look forward to campaigning with Rebecca and putting forward Restore Britain’s positive vision for the Makerfield constituency.
Nigel Farage has yet to announce his candidate to take on Burnham, though a Reform source tells Mr S that a name should emerge ‘in the next 48 hours, we hope’. Local plumber Robert Kenyon, who stood for the party in 2024, is understood to be a frontrunner. With a CV boasting military service and work in the NHS, he would be a competitive choice for the party.
It should also be noted that the Manchester Mayor has not yet officially been named Labour’s man for the job. He still needs to be signed off by the local CLP, which has the chance to provide top tier banter by picking someone else instead. Sadly, that seems unlikely…
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