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.
People in this episode
Hosts: Sally, Polly, Danny, Hugo
Topics covered
- by-election
- Labour Party
- Reform UK
- political strategy
- historical parallels
- UK politics
Keywords
- by-election
- Andy Burnham
- Nigel Farage
- Labour
- Reform UK
- politics
- Wes Streeting
- William Gladstone
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour, Reform UK, Times Radio
More episodes of How To Win An Election
- How Will The Days After The By-Election Play Out? · June 11, 2026 · 41 min
- How Burnham Is (Or Isn't) Defining Himself · June 4, 2026 · 41 min
- How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Michael Heseltine · May 28, 2026 · 43 min
- How The Labour Leadership Challenge Could Play Out · May 14, 2026 · 40 min
- Emergency Episode: How Long Can Starmer Cling On? · May 12, 2026 · 23 min
- How Labour Suffered An Historic Defeat · May 8, 2026 · 41 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the How To Win An Election podcast page.