Story perspectives

Burnham Wins Makerfield; Lumsden Takes Aberdeen, Labour Plummets

6/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Conservative Douglas Lumsden won Aberdeen South, dropping Labour to fourth with 5.4% of the vote, far below its 2024 level.
Unite secretary Sharon Graham and GMB Scotland leader Louise Gilmour said Labour’s North Sea policy reflects failed policy and warned of an industrial catastrophe.
Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election and is expected to become Labour leader and UK prime minister.

History

Historical Context

The 1 May 1997 general election ended 18 years of John Major’s Conservative government when Tony Blair’s New Labour won 418 seats, a 13-point swing that left the Conservatives with only 165 seats. That decisive shift set a benchmark for later contests, and recent wins by Conservative Douglas Lumsden in Aberdeen South and Labour’s Andy Burnham in Makerfield echo the 1997 realignment, highlighting enduring union-related pressures on Labour’s agenda.

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Story summary

Conservative Douglas Lumsden won Aberdeen South, dropping Labour to fourth with 5.4% of the vote, far below its 2024 level.
Unite secretary Sharon Graham and GMB Scotland leader Louise Gilmour said Labour’s North Sea policy reflects failed policy and warned of an industrial catastrophe.
Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election and is expected to become Labour leader and UK prime minister.

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