Reform UK takes second place in Labour's Makerfield stronghold

Josh Simons held Makerfield for Labour on 4 July 2024 with 45.2% of the vote, but Reform UK's Robert Kenyon finished second with 31.8%—nearly a third of voters in a seat Labour has controlled for decades. The result signals a significant realignment in northern English constituencies, with voters shifting not to the Conservatives but to a party offering a different approach to immigration and public institutions.