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Makerfield by-election candidates announced

Reuters A drone view showing a large green field and houses - looking towards Ashton-in-Makerfield in Greater Manchester.Reuters
People living in the Makerfield constituency in Greater Manchester will soon have the opportunity to elect their new MP

Fourteen candidates will contest the Makerfield by-election on Thursday 18 June.

All of the candidates standing in the Greater Manchester constituency are listed below in alphabetical order, by surname.

Jake Austin, Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have announced Jake Austin as their candidate.

The Stockport councillor was born in the constituency and contested the Greater Manchester mayoral election in 2024.

Count Binface, Count Binface Party

Andy Burnham, Labour and Co-operative Party

The Labour Party has officially confirmed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as its candidate.

Burnham, a former Labour government minister, has been the region's metropolitan mayor since 2017.

Dan Clarke, Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party has announced that Dan Clarke will be its candidate.

Clarke, who is the party's co-ordinator for the North-West, stood in the Gorton and Denton by-election, also in Greater Manchester, in February.

John Dyer, Independent

Ed Gemmell, Climate Party

Paul Gould, Independent

Alan 'Howlin' Laud Hope, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party has named its leader and co-founder - Alan Hope - otherwise known as Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope.

Hope founded the party with 1960s popstar Screaming Lord Sutch at a pub in 1982 to "bring frivolity to dull elections".

Robert Kenyon, Reform UK

Reform UK has named Robert Kenyon as its candidate.

Kenyon is a self-employed plumber and stood in the constituency in the 2024 general election - coming second to Labour's Josh Simons.

Robert Pownall, Independent

Rebecca Shepherd, Restore Britain

The Restore Britain party has announced Rebecca Shepherd as its candidate.

Shepherd is a businesswoman and was the first candidate to be officially announced on Monday.

Sarah Wakefield, Green Party

The Green Party has announced that Sarah Wakefield will be its candidate in the Makerfield by-election.

Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester City Council, was chosen after the Greens' first candidate, Chris Kennedy, withdrew from the race.

Peter Ward, Rejoin EU

The Rejoin EU party have announced that Peter Ward will be their candidate.

The party said "rejoining the EU has come back into the British political debate in a big way" and that it wanted to "make a full contribution to this discussion".

Michael Winstanley, Conservative Party

The Conservative Party has named Michael Winstanley as its candidate.

Winstanley was the mayor of Wigan in 2010/11.

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