Polls open in Makerfield for historic byelection that could determine Keir Starmer's future
Welcome to the UK politics live blog.
Voters in Makerfield, a constituency near Wigan, have begun casting their ballots in a byelection that may prove to be one of the most significant in British political history.
The byelection was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who stepped down to provide Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham a clear path to re-enter parliament and potentially challenge for the prime ministership. Since then, the constituency has seen a surge of party campaigners and media presence.
Burnham urged voters yesterday to "vote to change politics," stating he would take the "fight as high as I can possibly take it." Despite Makerfield being considered a Labour stronghold since its establishment in 1983, the governing party faces a notable challenge from Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage.
Reform UK's candidate Robert Kenyon's campaign has faced difficulties, including scrutiny over historic sexist social media posts and underwhelming media appearances. Nevertheless, polls indicate a close contest.
On Wednesday, Keir Starmer expressed willingness to offer Burnham a "big" role in his government if he wins the byelection. However, Burnham's allies have indicated he is not interested in such an offer, emphasizing that his advantage lies in being unassociated with the government's shortcomings.
Reports suggest Burnham and his supporters hope for a "coronation" scenario where Starmer steps aside, avoiding a leadership contest that could harm Labour's image. Starmer, however, has consistently stated he intends to remain as leader and will contest any challenges.
The next 24 hours are expected to be pivotal for the Labour government and Starmer's leadership.
Please note that, as with other news organizations, is restricted from reporting on campaigning or election issues while polls remain open today; polls close at 10pm.
Follow our blog for ongoing UK political updates and, undoubtedly, numerous photos of dogs at polling stations, which are a beloved feature of British elections.
Reform MP Sarah Pochin condemned for 'dreadful' domestic violence comments
Sarah Pochin, Reform UK's first female MP, has faced criticism following a social media post that appeared to excuse domestic violence.
"England won the football last night. And thank god they did because, on the occasions that England lose their football matches, the incidents of domestic violence go through the roof."
While it is accurate that domestic abuse incidents can intensify around football matches—with Women’s Aid reporting a 38% increase when England lose and 26% when they win or draw—Pochin's wording suggested violence could be avoided if England "keep winning."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who also holds the cabinet portfolio for women and equalities, condemned the remarks.
"Men should not beat up women."
Labour backbencher Andrew Western also criticized the comments.
"This is dreadful. How about 'men, stop attacking women'?"
Regulatory burden linked to potential Dartmoor hill pony cull, says Kemi Badenoch
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch addressed TheCityUK’s annual conference in London, outlining plans to reduce financial sector regulations. She argued that excessive regulation has fostered a risk-averse culture in Britain’s financial industries.
Badenoch highlighted the impact of government red tape on the City of London and cited the potential cull of Dartmoor’s hill ponies as an example.
"The thing that would be most helpful is for all of you to speak out and say this is what we need. Business is very scared of criticising government policy, they want to be invited to the advisory council, or to the reception in No 10, or they don’t want to have their meetings refused, but the rest of the public are not hearing what they need to hear.
Not enough people know, and not enough people understand just how bad it’s got. I don’t know how many people have heard of the Dartmoor ponies being culled because of some weird regulation that came out of Natural England."
A controversy is growing over a potential cull on Dartmoor, where campaigners warn that government conservation agency Natural England's new contracts requiring reduced livestock grazing on the moor's commons could lead to the removal of up to 90% of its hill ponies.
Polanski cleared by ethics inquiry over council tax payment complaint
Zack Polanski has been exonerated by an ethics inquiry concerning allegations that he failed to pay council tax while residing on a houseboat.
The Greater London Authority’s monitoring officer concluded that Polanski’s living arrangements fell outside the inquiry’s scope and that he did not breach the London Assembly members’ code of conduct.
Complaints from Labour and Conservative members alleged that Polanski had violated ethics rules by not paying council tax during his time living on a houseboat in east London from 2022.
Polanski acknowledged the "unintentional mistake" and informed the monitoring officer that it remained unclear whether any tax was due, noting that the boat's location straddled two local authority boundaries. He also disclosed personal experience with financial hardship and housing insecurity.
Initially, Polanski stated he was not living full-time at the marina but at another address as a lodger, though it later emerged he had occupied the boat for several years before moving to a house.
In his statement, Polanski said he never intended to "evade council tax, avoid legal obligations or obtain any improper financial advantage," and any failure to understand the situation arose from the unconventional nature of his living arrangement.
Government accounts discounted again due to local council audit backlog
The National Audit Office (NAO) has rejected the government’s annual accounts for the third consecutive year because of a backlog in auditing local council accounts.
For years, delays in auditing have obscured the true financial state of local authorities, some of which have faced financial collapse.
The government has legislated to address the audit crisis through the English Devolution Bill, which will establish a new Local Audit Office this autumn. However, the timeline for clearing the backlog remains uncertain.
More councils have submitted accounts than in previous years, reducing missing data in the 2024/25 Whole Government Accounts. Nonetheless, 280 local authorities still had unaudited accounts or received disclaimed opinions, leaving data accuracy in doubt.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, commented:
"Recent measures to begin to restore normal audit assurance for English local authorities are welcome. This work must be progressed with vigour to ensure timely and high-quality financial reporting for every local body, supporting their accountability to local people and providing more reliable whole of government accounts."
Rachel Reeves urges Labour to adhere to fiscal rules amid leadership speculation
Chancellor Rachel Reeves cautioned Labour colleagues against deviating from fiscal commitments as the party prepares for a potential leadership contest.
Speaking at the Times CEO Summit in London on Thursday, Reeves emphasized the importance of maintaining economic stability as outlined in the party manifesto and affirmed her intention to remain in her role.
Addressing potential leadership challengers, she stated:
"We got elected on the promise to return stability to the economy, and anyone who wanted to deviate from that will not be fulfilling the manifesto commitments."
Her remarks coincided with voters heading to polling stations in Makerfield, where Andy Burnham seeks to return to Westminster and possibly challenge Keir Starmer for Labour leadership.
Scottish byelections underway following MPs’ resignation
Voters in Aberdeen South and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry are also participating in byelections after their sitting MPs resigned following election to the Scottish Parliament in May.
New legislation prohibits MPs and councillors from simultaneously holding seats in Holyrood and Westminster. Consequently, SNP MPs Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins vacated their Commons seats after winning Holyrood constituencies six weeks ago.
The Aberdeen South contest to replace Flynn, who held a 3,758 majority, is particularly competitive.
The Scottish Conservatives are optimistic about their chances, citing recent local successes and precedent. They are campaigning vigorously on a strong pro-North Sea oil and gas platform.
Douglas Lumsden, a former Tory council co-leader and current MSP, faces SNP candidate Richard Thomson, a former Aberdeenshire council leader who lost his Westminster seat in the 2024 general election.
A Conservative victory would be a significant achievement for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and an embarrassment for SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney. It would signal public support for the Tories’ oil policies and suggest the SNP’s reputation has been damaged by the £400,000 theft of party funds by former chief executive Peter Murrell.
Meanwhile, Arbroath and Broughty Ferry is expected to remain with the SNP, despite Gethins’ narrow 2024 victory margin of fewer than 900 votes, largely due to a collapse in Labour support since the general election.
Nigel Farage opposes cryptocurrency plan amid party donor interests
Nigel Farage has sought to block a cryptocurrency initiative that could negatively affect the billionaire financier supporting his party.
Farage stated that Christopher Harborne, who has donated millions to Reform UK and gave an undeclared £5 million personal gift to Farage, expects no return for his contributions.
At a private Bank of England meeting, Farage urged Governor Andrew Bailey to abandon plans for a state-backed digital currency, dubbed "Britcoin." Following the September meeting, Farage told a crypto audience he would be "prepared to go to prison" to prevent the initiative.
Harborne’s £25 million in donations constitute about two-thirds of Reform UK’s funding. He is among a small group of tech investors owning Tether, the issuer of the world’s most widely traded stablecoin cryptocurrency.
Tether’s digital currency is pegged to government-issued currencies, facilitating easy exchange. Registered in El Salvador with a small staff, Tether’s profits have surpassed those of Netflix and Coca-Cola.
If Harborne’s earnings align with his 12% stake, he could earn approximately £1 billion annually. However, these profits might decline if the Bank of England proceeds with Britcoin, which could reduce demand for stablecoins like Tether’s, according to an industry submission to the central bank.
Research shows Brexit reduced UK exports to EU by 12%
New research from the Centre for European Reform reveals that Brexit has decreased UK exports to the EU by 12%, with rejoining the customs union only partially reversing the impact.
With the UK-EU relationship likely to be a key issue in any Labour leadership contest, economists John Springford and Anton Spisak analyzed trade data and economic models to assess Brexit’s effects.
They found that services exports to the EU are 7% lower and goods exports 16% lower than they would have been if the UK had remained in the EU.
The majority of the 12% export decline—approximately 10%—is attributed to leaving the single market, with regulatory costs such as new certification procedures and compliance checks having a greater impact than customs barriers.
Industries most affected include travel, finance and insurance, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and agrifood.
The estimate for lost services exports is higher than previous studies because the authors accounted for a significant increase in intra-EU services trade since the Covid-19 pandemic, from which the UK has been excluded.
Images from the campaign trail and polling stations
