UK PM Keir Starmer Extends Full Support For Labour Candidate In Makerfield Bypoll.

London; May 2026: In a few while ago, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has affirmed that he will support Labour’s candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election whoever they are by 100%’.

In comments to Labour Party staff at their headquarters, the Prime Minister has also insisted on focusing on the job that he was asked to do.

He said: “We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are, I am going to support them 100% and I want every member, everyone in our movement to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in”.

Addressing the precariousness around his own position, Starmer added: “I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as prime minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, ‘just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life’. And that is what I am going to be doing”.

The Prime Minister has also thanked staff after the ‘really tough’ local and devolved election results, and pointed to last week’s growth figures, as well as the NHS figures on Thursday, 14th May 2026, which he described as really good. Starmer added: “The election results tell us that people are frustrated; they don’t feel that their lives have changed quickly enough. We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country”.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Josh Simons has officially resigned from parliament, which has been confirmed this morning. Simons announced last week that he wanted to stand down in his constituency of Makerfield so that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham can run in it, and gain a seat in parliament. As per parliamentary convention, Simons’s departure has now been formally confirmed by the chancellor.

In a one-line statement, the Treasury announced: “The chancellor of the Exchequer has this day appointed Joshua Cameron Simons to be steward and bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern”. This is the archaic way an MP is removed and means his seat will become vacant, triggering the Makerfield by-election. It is the first of many steps that will ultimately lead to a by-election being held in the constituency. A reminder that the writ for the by-election is yet to be moved, which officially confirms the by-election.

Nominations for Labour candidates for the by-election have also not closed yet, and after this, a list will be put to local party members before a final person is chosen. Then the actual election campaign and vote must take place.

Joe Twyman, who co-founded Deltapoll, said that while the mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, is in a strong position for the upcoming Makerfield by-election could win, he is also broadly unknown across the wider country.

Asked about his chances in the parliamentary constituency, Twyman told reporters: “We don’t know. The reality is that no polling has taken place in that particular constituency. While you can model the result based on things like the local election results or indeed national voting intention, none of that can take account of hyperlocal factors. And there is no more hyperlocal factor than somebody with Andy Burnham’s personal brand in that area running in circumstances which are extremely unusual. So, we don’t know exactly how it will play out”. Twyman further added that Makerfield did lean towards Labour very strongly during the general election in 2024, it then went very heavily towards Reform during the local elections just recently.

Touching on the issue of the EU, which has been raised by leadership contender Wes Streeting, Twyman said: “It’s estimated that Makerfield constituents voted around about two-thirds in favour of leave. “So, if you add all that together, I would say it suggests that Andy Burnham is in a strong position, but it is by no means guaranteed”.

When asked about Burnham’s personal brand, the pollster highlighted that Burnham is not well-known across the UK, and nor are any other potential leadership hopefuls, such as Streeting or Angela Rayner.

“If you look at things in terms of his policies, in terms of his position on different issues, it’s highly unlikely that anyone outside really hardcore politicos would be able to speculate as to what his position might be. You could see that as an advantage”, Twyman suggested. “But the reality is that when asked about the issues that face the country, whether it’s the cost of living, immigration, education, the NHS or Brexit, it may be that the more people hear about Andy Burnham, the less they like him”.

The date of a by-election which Andy Burnham intends to contest is expected to be revealed tomorrow.

Team Maverick.