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Reform UK Takes 50% Makerfield; Burnham Joins, Costs Surge

5/18/2026

39 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Green Party will stand in Makerfield despite Caroline Lucas urging a stand-aside for Andy Burnham.
Labour’s NEC granted Andy Burnham entry to the Makerfield selection, noting he would need 81 Labour MPs, or 20 percent of party, to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who refuses to step down.
Reform UK secured 50 percent of the Makerfield vote, unsettling investors and driving UK borrowing costs to their biggest rise in a year.

History

Historical Context

The 1997 general election ended 18 years of Conservative rule, giving Tony Blair’s Labour Party a 179-seat majority and 418 seats, the largest Labour win since World II. Blair’s removal of Clause IV and centrist “New Labour” branding reshaped British politics. Today, the Makerfield by-election sees Reform UK challenging Labour, while the party’s NEC welcomes Andy Burnham amid renewed market concerns.

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Story summary

The Green Party will stand in Makerfield despite Caroline Lucas urging a stand-aside for Andy Burnham.
Labour’s NEC granted Andy Burnham entry to the Makerfield selection, noting he would need 81 Labour MPs, or 20 percent of party, to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who refuses to step down.
Reform UK secured 50 percent of the Makerfield vote, unsettling investors and driving UK borrowing costs to their biggest rise in a year.

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