How The By-Election Will Be Seismic

How The By-Election Will Be Seismic

May 21, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Makerfield by-election and its potential impact on UK politics.

The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform wins, then it will clear Nigel Farage's path to power and plunge the government into (further) chaos. Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) weigh up who is the underdog, whether Wes Streeting will run against Burnham, and whether a victorious Burnham could even think about going to the country. Also, Danny explains why the best parallel for this contest is probably William Gladstone in 1876. Send you questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More episodes of How To Win An Election

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the How To Win An Election podcast page.