The Reform deputy leader said his party will campaign heavily in an upcoming by-election in Makerfield after MP Josh Simons stood down

IT is the seat that could define who Britain’s next Prime Minister will be – but residents have warned Andy Burnham they are no “stepping stone”. Covering Wigan, Hindley

Only 24 hours have elapsed since the Wigan borough constituency of Makerfield became the biggest focal point of national political interest.

Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform in Makerfield to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows - The Mayor of Manchester has several obstacles to overcome on the long road to Westminster

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Makerfield MP Josh Simons may be stepping down to give GM Mayor Andy Burnham a chance at the highest office in the land – but will Labour necessarily win the by-election?

RETIRED engineering consultant Tony Torres thinks “King of the North” Andy Burnham is a lovely fella. And, because he has always backed Labour, you would think the party could rely on his vote at

Polling expert Sir John Curtice has said Labour would have a “less than 5 per cent chance” in the Makerfield by-election “if it were anyone other than Andy Burnham”. He added that it is one of the tightest Labour-Reform contests and a “much tougher” election to win than Gorton and Denton