The Green Party has selected Chris Kennedy, a nurse and children's safeguarding specialist, as its candidate for the Makerfield by-election on 18 June. Kennedy, described as a 'committed local campaigner', was chosen after a hustings on Wednesday amid reports that the party may limit its campaign efforts to avoid splitting the progressive vote.
The Financial Times reported that senior Green figures are wary of being blamed for allowing Reform to win, and thus may not invest significant resources in the by-election. One senior party figure told the FT: 'We do not want this one to go to Reform, and to be quite frank, we do not want Labour to turn around and say, “If you vote Green, you’re actually voting Reform”, because that will be used for the next three years.'
The Guardian previously revealed an internal debate within the Greens about how to challenge Labour's Andy Burnham. A senior Green said: 'The debate is what the campaign would look like. There is a world of difference between turning up to the hustings with a bit of leafleting, and what we saw in [the] Gorton and Denton [by-election, which the Green party won].'
Green Party leader Zack Polanski praised Kennedy as a 'fantastic candidate', but also said the by-election would be used to press Burnham on his 'mixed track record' and lack of commitment to fair voting and public ownership. Kennedy stated: 'We want to defend our area against the politics of hate and division and bring people together around a positive vision for the future.'
Reform has nominated plumber Robert Kenyon, while the Conservatives have selected former Wigan mayor Michael Winstanley. If Burnham wins, he is expected to challenge Keir Starmer as prime minister.
