Farage Reflects on Makerfield By-Election Outcome
Nigel Farage expressed disappointment with Reform UK's results in the Makerfield by-election, attributing the party's defeat to voters' desire to remove Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street.
The Reform leader suggested that frustration with the Labour leader contributed to Andy Burnham's decisive victory over Reform's candidate, Rob Kenyon, who trailed by over 9,000 votes.
Farage also acknowledged that Reform UK lost votes to the right-wing rival party Restore Britain, founded by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, which secured third place in the contest, marking a significant milestone for the emerging party.
He appealed to Restore supporters to consider backing Reform UK instead, positioning his party as the primary challenger to Labour from the left.
Reform UK had aimed to unseat Burnham in Makerfield, hoping to gain a prominent victory that would enhance its standing as the main opposition to Labour in the forthcoming general election.
However, Burnham increased Labour's majority over Reform UK in the constituency, an uncommon achievement for a candidate from the governing party.
The outgoing Greater Manchester mayor is anticipated to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership and the premiership, a contest contingent on securing a parliamentary seat, which made the Makerfield by-election particularly significant.
In a video posted online, Farage described Reform UK's second-place finish as "disappointing," noting that Burnham's vote share exceeded expectations.
"In many ways, he's a popular local mayor, just as Boris Johnson was a popular mayor in London just a few years ago,"
"But what really happened here is it was 'vote Burnham, get Starmer out'."
He admitted that Reform UK had been somewhat undermined by its own strategy, having previously framed several local and national elections as opportunities for voters to end Starmer's premiership.
Farage also voiced frustration with Restore Britain, which positioned itself to the right of Reform UK, advocating for policies such as "the most ambitious programme of mass deportations ever seen in Britain."
"I thought we'd get 18,000 votes, we got just shy of 16 [thousand]. So I'm disappointed by that, no question about it,"
"There's a couple of thousand voters there who would normally have gone out and voted Reform, that voted Restore. And I would say directly to them, what do you want?
"We are the challenger party to the left in this country. And I would urge you to think again, I really, really would."
Rise of Restore Britain
The Makerfield by-election marked the first Westminster contest for Restore Britain, a party registered in March, signaling its emergence on the national political scene.
While polling around 3% nationally, Restore Britain's approximately 7% vote share in Makerfield presents a strategic challenge for Farage ahead of the next general election.
Prior to the vote, Reform UK announced policies including banning non-British nationals from social housing and taxing companies that employ foreign staff, shifting rightward to consolidate its voter base.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice echoed Farage's view on anti-Starmer voting and stated that the party had made a strong effort in the contest.
"One should congratulate Mr Burnham on holding a very safe Labour seat that's been Labour for a hundred years,"
he told BBC Breakfast.
Following the results, Rupert Lowe celebrated Restore Britain's performance on social media, describing candidate Rebecca Shepherd's result as "remarkable" and noting that previous new parties had taken years to achieve similar success.
"Restore Britain is now officially on the map,"
he added.
Other By-Elections and Political Context
The Makerfield by-election was one of three held on the same day, alongside two in Scotland triggered by the resignation of MPs who took seats in the Scottish Parliament.
The Conservatives gained Aberdeen South from the SNP, while the SNP retained Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
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