Thousands of people went out on Thursday (June 18) to cast their vote and have their say in choosing the next Member of Parliament in Makerfield. As the count gets underway tonight, a live stream is available to watch from the Makerfield by-election count in Wigan. You can watch the live stream of the count from 10pm below.
The by-election taking place in Greater Manchester is a hugely significant event which could have major ramifications for the political landscape over the next few years. It came after the sudden resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons on May 14, with the Makerfield MP having confirmed he stood down from the position to make a pathway for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to stand for election.
Mr Simons' resignation followed mounting demands for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign, with Mr Burnham expected to launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir if elected. This means the outcome of the by-election could shape the UK political scene for years to come.
The polls opened at 7am on Thursday and closed at 10pm the same day. The ballots were transported to the Makerfield by-election count, and the counting got underway. Results are expected from 4am on Friday (June 19). While no exit poll has been conducted for the Makerfield by-election, a poll was carried out by Opinium between June 3 and 11, 2026, ahead of election day, showing how people in the area might vote. The study included 543 local residents who suggested how they would vote in the by-election.
The results of that poll showed Burnham in the lead with 46%, Reform's Rob Kenyon just behind with 41%, followed by Restore's Rebecca Shepherd with 7%. We are bringing you live coverage of the by-election throughout the evening and into the night as the counting gets underway.
As well as Burnham and Kenyon, there are 12 more candidates running to be the new MP in Makerfield: Jake Austin for the Liberal Democrats, Count Binface for Count Binface Party, Dan Clarke for Libertarian Party, John Dyer for Independent, Ed Gemmell for Climate Party, Paul Gould - Independent, Howling Laud Hope for The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Rob Pownall for Independent, Rebecca Shepherd for Restore Britain, Sarah Wakefield for Green Party, Peter Ward for Rejoin EU, and Michael Winstanley for Conservative and Unionist Party.
