Nobody Expected This

Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election with 55 per cent of the vote. But treating Makerfield as a national barometer is a mistake: many voted Labour to get rid of Keir Starmer.

Reform underperformed, losing 16 per cent of their vote share from the local elections and another winnable by-election. The party ran a purely negative campaign about blocking Burnham, while their candidate, Robert Kenyon, was crucified by the media for crude jokes on rugby forums.

Restore came in third with seven per cent, in line with polling. Some are celebrating, given it's their first by-election. But the party's army of canvassers could have delivered a better result if they had a stronger candidate.

Nevertheless, Reform can't blame Restore for "splitting the vote", because both combined got less than Burnham. Instead, Reform needs to start asking why they are topping national polls but losing elections, and Restore must perform better next time if they want to force Reform to the right, or present themselves as a viable alternative.

Now that the election is over, it would be a good time for introspection and an end to enmity. Some supporters resorted to ad hominem attacks, dishonesty, and dirty tricks during the campaign. Don't sacrifice your integrity and friendships for political team-sports.

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