Andy Burnham is bracing for a bruising battle to hold the Makerfield seat, a byelection that could reshape Labour’s path in northern England. His allies say the race is perilous after Reform UK’s landslide win in May’s local elections, where the party took more than 50% of the vote in the constituency. Polling now puts Burnham only slightly ahead of Reform UK, a sign the contest is tighter than Labour expected. That’s a problem for a party trying to rebuild trust in the north after years of Tory rule and Brexit fallout. Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage has already made it clear the campaign will focus on two issues: immigration and Brexit. Both played big in the local elections, where Reform UK outperformed in areas with high Leave votes and concerns over small boat crossings. Farage’s party now has a clear shot at its first Westminster seat, something even the Conservatives struggled to block in recent years. For Burnham, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Makerfield, a working-class seat in Wigan, has been Labour’s since 2005. Losing it would be a humiliation, but more importantly, it could signal deeper trouble for the party across the north. Labour’s leadership knows it can’t afford another stumble after the general election wipeout last year. The party’s insiders admit Burnham isn’t the natural choice for every voter here. He’s spent years as mayor, not an MP, and some locals still see him as more of a regional figure than a Westminster candidate. The byelection itself is happening because Labour MP Yvonne Fovargue resigned in March after losing her seat in the general election. That left a gap the party had to fill fast, but it’s a gap Reform UK is now trying to exploit. Reform UK’s campaign playbook is simple: hammer immigration, remind voters of Brexit promises, and paint Labour as out of touch. They’ve already started running ads in the area, and Farage himself has hinted he’ll make multiple visits. Burnham’s team is playing defense. They’re focusing on local issues—schools, hospitals, and jobs—hoping to remind voters the byelection isn’t just about national politics. But with Reform UK’s polling strength, it’s a tough sell. The party’s surge isn’t just in Makerfield. It’s winning council seats across Greater Manchester, and even in areas Labour once dominated. The message to Burnham is clear: if you can’t beat Reform here, where can you? The byelection is set for July 18, leaving Burnham just weeks to turn the tide. His team is banking on Labour’s ground game, but Reform UK’s momentum is hard to ignore. If Burnham loses, Labour’s path to recovery in the north gets even steeper. If he wins, it might just be a temporary reprieve—Reform UK isn’t going away anytime soon.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: The Guardian
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 18:39 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #guardian · #world-news · #international · #war · #conflict · #andy-burnham

Read the Full Story

This is a curated summary. For the complete article, original data, quotes and full analysis:

Read the full story on The Guardian →

All reporting rights belong to the respective author(s) at The Guardian. GlobalBR News summarizes publicly available content to help readers discover the most relevant global news.

Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O deputado trabalhista Andy Burnham enfrenta uma das batalhas eleitorais mais difíceis de sua carreira na disputa suplementar de Makerfield, no Reino Unido, enquanto o partido Reform UK, de extrema-direita, dispara nas pesquisas após conquistar impressionantes 50% dos votos em eleições locais recentes.

A batalha em Makerfield, tradicional reduto trabalhista, ganhou contornos nacionais na medida em que a ascensão do Reform UK — sucessor do Brexit Party — ameaça não apenas a hegemonia do Partido Trabalhista, mas também o equilíbrio político britânico, historicamente dominado por conservadores e laboristas. Para o Brasil, a situação ressoa como um alerta sobre a crescente polarização na política global e os riscos de fragmentação partidária, especialmente em um cenário de crise econômica e insatisfação popular, temas que também afetam a realidade brasileira.

Com a possibilidade de uma vitória do Reform UK em Makerfield, as atenções se voltam para o impacto que isso teria nas eleições gerais de 2024, podendo redefinir o mapa político europeu e influenciar futuras estratégias de partidos de esquerda e direita mundo afora.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El líder laborista Andy Burnham se enfrenta a una reñida batalla electoral en su distrito de Makerfield, donde Reform UK ha irrumpido con fuerza tras arrasar en las elecciones locales con un 50% de los votos. La pugna amenaza con redefinir el mapa político británico y poner en jaque el dominio tradicional de los partidos establecidos.

La irrupción de Reform UK, con su discurso antiinmigración y euroescéptico, refleja un malestar creciente en sectores de la clase trabajadora británica que antaño apoyaban al laborismo. Para los hispanohablantes en España, este escenario evoca ecos de movimientos populistas en Europa, recordando cómo la frustración social puede erosionar lealtades políticas históricas. La capacidad de Burnham para retener su feudo —símbolo clave del “norte rojo” laborista— será un termómetro del estado de ánimo de un electorado cada vez más volátil, con implicaciones que trascienden las fronteras británicas.