FARAGE URGES RESTORE VOTERS TO BACK REFORM AFTER MAKERFIELD LOSS

Nigel Farage has called on voters who supported Restore Britain in the Makerfield byelection to transfer their support to Reform UK, following what he described as a "disappointing" result for his party. Reform UK's candidate, Robert Kenyon, finished second to Labour's Andy Burnham with a vote share of 35.5%, finishing more than 9,000 votes behind the winner. Restore Britain, led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, came third with nearly 7% of the total vote. Farage made the appeal in a video message posted on social media after leaving the count early as results became clear.

Burnham's victory represented what Farage characterised as an "emphatic" win. Reform had anticipated securing at least 18,000 votes but achieved 15,696, according to Farage's account. The party leader attributed part of the shortfall to tactical voting against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which had been Reform's own messaging strategy. Kenyon's campaign faced difficulties throughout, with questions arising about his previous social media posts, including statements describing himself as sexist and endorsement of comments about television presenter Carol Vorderman. Burnham's standing as Greater Manchester's mayor since 2017 appeared to influence the outcome, with female voters reportedly deterred by the controversies surrounding the Reform candidate.

Farage expressed concern at Reform's loss of votes to Restore, which has advocated mass deportations and used openly racist rhetoric. He directly addressed Restore voters, asking them to reconsider their position. The result raises questions about the competition for votes on the right of British politics, where both parties are seeking to establish dominance amongst their respective voter bases.