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Makerfield by-election candidates announced
TL;DR
Candidates for the Makerfield by-election in Greater Manchester have been announced, following Labour MP Josh Simons' resignation. Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the Labour Party's candidate.
Key points
- By-election in Makerfield triggered by Josh Simons' resignation
- Andy Burnham confirmed as Labour's candidate
- More candidates from other parties announced
Mentioned in this story
Josh SimonsAndy BurnhamMakerfieldLabour Party
Political parties have begun to announce their candidates for the forthcoming by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield.
The by-election was triggered when Labour MP Josh Simons announced he would step down to allow his party colleague Andy Burnham the chance to seek a way back into the House of Commons.
With the by-election date yet to be confirmed, three other parties have now named their candidates.
You can see all of these below - listed in alphabetical order by each candidate's surname. This list will be updated as more are announced in coming days.
The Labour Party has officially confirmed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as its candidate.
Burnham, a former Labour government minister, has been the region's metropolitan mayor since 2017.
In a statement posted on social media, the party said: "We can confirm that our glorious leader Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope... will be standing against Andy Burnham in the forthcoming election in Makerfield."
Reform UK has named Robert Kenyon as its candidate.
Kenyon is a self-employed plumber and stood in the constituency in the 2024 general election - coming second to Labour's Josh Simons.
The Restore Britain party has announced Rebecca Shepherd as its candidate.
Shepherd is a businesswoman and was the first candidate to be officially announced on Monday.
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Q&A
Who are the candidates for the Makerfield by-election?
The candidates include Andy Burnham from the Labour Party, with more candidates expected to be announced soon.
Why did Josh Simons resign from his position?
Josh Simons resigned to allow Andy Burnham the opportunity to seek re-election to the House of Commons.
When will the Makerfield by-election take place?
The date for the Makerfield by-election has not yet been confirmed.
