Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has expressed disappointment with his party's performance in the Makerfield by-election and issued a direct plea to voters who backed the Restore Britain party, urging them to reconsider their choice.
By-Election Results
Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon finished second in the contest, trailing behind Labour's Andy Burnham by 9,231 votes. Labour increased its majority from 5,399 in the 2024 general election and saw its vote share rise by 9.61%.
In a video message posted on social media, Mr. Farage acknowledged that Reform UK had been "hoist with our own petard" after claiming Labour had adopted the party's message of "get Starmer out" on the doorstep, using it to rally support for Mr. Burnham.
Appeal to Restore Britain Voters
Mr. Farage specifically addressed voters who supported Restore Britain, a rival party to the right of Reform UK that advocates for a harder line on migration and other issues. He said:
"As for the Reform vote share, well, I thought we would get 18,000 votes, we got just shy of 16,000 so I’m disappointed by that, no question about it. But I would say this: 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."
The by-election result highlights the ongoing fragmentation of the right-wing vote in the UK, with Restore Britain drawing support away from Reform UK in a key contest.
